The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) has concluded its investigation into a man’s death following an officer-involved shooting in Winnipeg.
On June 17, 2022, the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) advised the IIU of an incident that occurred at 4:14 p.m. that day. According to the notification, an officer had just completed a traffic stop at the intersection of Salter Street and Mountain Avenue. The officer was in his vehicle when a male armed with a knife approached the driver’s side door of the police vehicle in an aggressive manner. A confrontation occurred, resulting in the male suspect being shot. The suspect was transported to Health Sciences Centre where he was pronounced deceased.
As the matter concerned the death of a person that may have resulted from the actions of a police officer(s), the IIU assumed responsibility for this mandatory investigation in accordance with the Police Services Act. IIU investigators were assigned to the investigation and reviewed information including:
- WPS investigative summary report;
- WPS officers’ notes and narratives;
- WPS officers’ supplementary reports;
- audio recordings of 911 telephone calls;
- audio recordings of WPS radio communications;
- Forensic Identification Service reports;
- photographs of scene and exhibits;
- multiple video recordings from various locales and from civilian witnesses;
- WPS drone footage; and
- pathology and toxicology reports concerning the affected person.
The WPS officer who discharged his firearm was designated as the subject officer and another WPS officer was designated as a witness officer. IIU investigators met with and interviewed or reviewed interviews conducted with 16 civilian witnesses.
The civilian director found no reasonable grounds to support any charges against the subject officer. Accordingly, the IIU investigation is now complete and the file is closed. The civilian director’s complete report is available online at www.iiumanitoba.ca.
The details of the investigation were first announced on June 20, 2021.
