Man asked to drop weapon 14 times before police shot him in downtown skywalk: IIU
Independent Investigation Unit concludes officers involved will not face charges
A Winnipeg police officer asked a man to drop his weapon 14 times before shooting him in the downtown skywalk in May, according to an investigation by Manitoba's police watchdog.
There are no grounds for charges against police officers after the 25-year-old man was shot in the skywalk — which crosses above Garry Street and is linked to the police headquarters — Manitoba's Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) said in a release on Monday.
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Officers encountered the man, who was holding a black stick with the end hidden in his armpit, over the noon hour on May 1, the release said.
The man went into an optometrist's office, where there were a number of people, and tried to hold the door shut.
When the officers forced their way through the door the man pulled the stick from under his arm and revealed that he had scissors taped to the end.
He pointed the scissors at police and moments later, one officer fired two rounds hitting the man in his side, the IIU release said. The man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
About two minutes before he was shot, the man called 911.
The 911 recording, which captured the words of the operator on the line and police on the scene, showed that the officer told the man to drop his weapon 14 times.
IIU also interviewed the man who was shot, other police officers and 11 people who witnessed the shooting.
"[The officer] was faced with a dangerous and dynamic situation that unfolded quickly. It would be unreasonable for police to wait before acting," IIU civilian director Zane Tessler wrote in his report on the incident.
"Any delay could have led to the death of WPS officers or other civilians within the [optometrist's] office."
Since there are outstanding charges against the man, Tessler's complete report will not be available until it goes through the courts.
Every time an officer in Manitoba is involved in a fatal incident, the Police Services Act requires the IIU to take over the investigation.
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