Man dead, woman injured after police shooting in Thompson

One man is dead and a woman is seriously injured after an officer opened fire on them Saturday morning, RCMP say.

It happened near Thompson, Man., around 2 a.m. during a routine traffic stop after reports of an erratic driver. Once RCMP found the vehicle a brief chase ensued.

The vehicle eventually pulled over. The RCMP officer got out of his cruiser and approached the vehicle.

That's when the driver stepped on the gas, accelerating and striking the officer, RCMP said. The officer then fired his gun. 

5 people in the vehicle at time of shooting

The male driver of the vehicle died at the scene. A woman who was a passenger in the vehicle was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) of Manitoba confirmed there were three additional passengers in the vehicle.

A second woman sustained minor injuries that weren't related to the shooting, the IIU said. She was treated and released from the hospital.

The other two passengers weren't injured, the IIU said.

The officer involved was treated for minor injuries in hospital and has since been released.

IIU investigators remained on the scene of the shooting in Thompson into the evening Saturday.

The IIU of Manitoba is investigating the incident, as it does in all serious cases involving police officers.