Manitoba

Winnipeg police officer charged with assault, possession of hallucinogens

A Winnipeg police officer is facing charges of assault, mischief and possession of an hallucinogenic substance.

The officer has been with the police service for four years and is now on paid leave

A close-up photo of a Winnipeg Police Service shoulder patch.
Officer arrested for assault and possession of psilocybin mushrooms. (Trevor Brine/CBC)

A Winnipeg police officer is facing charges of assault, mischief and possession of an hallucinogenic substance.

RCMP arrested the officer, a 28-year-old man, after being called April 22 about an assault at a home in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews, just north of the city.

The officer was off-duty at the time.

A WPS spokesperson said the officer has been with the police service for four years and is now on paid leave pending the results of the ongoing investigation.

The police watchdog, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, is taking a monitoring role in the investigation, according to the RCMP.

An RCMP spokesperson said it took nearly a month to release information about the arrest because "we had to ensure that everything was completed investigationally before releasing."

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