Independent review underway after Winnipeg police Taser break-in suspect

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) is investigating an arrest by the Winnipeg Police Service that left one person in hospital.

According to police, officers arrived at a home on Ross Avenue shortly after 5 a.m. on Wednesday after receiving a call from the house's owner that there was a person smashing planters just outside.

Police said they arrived to discover a male suspect had forced his way inside the home. Officers subsequently found the suspect hiding in a closet and when he resisted arrest, police used a Taser to control him, according to investigators.

Police then took him to hospital, where medical personnel determined he was suffering from internal injuries.

According to the IIU, internal injuries that require hospitalization are defined under regulations as a serious injury, which triggers the need for an independent investigation to take place.

The IIU investigates all serious incidents involving police officers in Manitoba, whether occurring on or off duty.