Woman dies after being hit by Winnipeg police cruiser in riverside park
Officers were driving someone to a homeless encampment when collision happened
A woman died after being hit by a police car that was driving through a small riverside park off River Avenue on Monday night.
The officers were taking someone back to a homeless encampment along the riverbank in Fort Rouge Park when the cruiser hit the woman, who was in her 30s, police said at a news conference on Tuesday.
The officers provided emergency medical care before paramedics arrived to rush her to hospital in critical condition. She later died from her injuries.
"On behalf of the whole membership of the Winnipeg Police Service, I want to offer my condolences and thoughts to the family, her friends, her community — and her family and friends at the encampment," acting police chief Art Stannard said at the news conference.
"I know this is a very heartbreaking, emotional, difficult time for the family. They're looking for answers."
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba has assumed responsibility for the investigation, which limits what police are able to say about the incident, Stannard said.
"They were conveying a person back home to that encampment and they felt that they needed to drive him down that pathway. That's all I can say right now. It's going to be flushed out by IIU," he said, when asked by reporters why the officers would drive through the park.
"The encampments are on the riverbanks. They're hard to get at, so if there's a route or a path that can get you to that location, they may use it."
It's not unusual for officers to give a ride to a someone who clearly needs that assistance, Stannard said.
"They did it as a courtesy for that person to get home safe."
Stannard said he has spoken to both of the officers involved "and they are totally devastated by this" and will be on leave for a few days and speaking with a psychologist.
"We have to take care of them as well."
He re-emphasized that the police service is "heartbroken for the family … and we want them to know they have our thoughts. That's what today is about. It's tragic."
The park is in the River-Osborne neighbourhood, about midway between Osborne Street and Donald Street.
Staff with Main Street Project, a not-for-profit social agency that works with people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, were in the park on Tuesday to offer support to anyone who needed.
"Main Street Project is heartbroken to hear about the critical incident in Fort Rouge Park last night. At this time our focus is supporting those at the site," executive director Jamil Mahmood said in an emailed statement.
