Watchdog investigating after man's arm broken during Brandon police chase
'He was down pretty hard and fast,' says person who saw collision that left man with broken arm
Manitoba's police watchdog is investigating after a man's arm was broken during a chase that resulted in a collision between a police car and the man on Sunday.
Around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, officers in Brandon responded to a report of an attempted arson, according to a Tuesday news release from the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba. The man suspected of trying to start the fire fled on foot.
A chase followed, "resulting in a police car colliding with the man in front of police headquarters," the IIU's release says.
Derek Bournon says he was walking in the area, near 10th Street and Victoria Avenue, when he heard a sudden "bombardment of police sirens."
"I saw someone running down the sidewalk and then … into the street," he told CBC News on Tuesday.
WATCH | Video shows police vehicle collision with man:
Bournon posted a video to social media, which shows the man running in the middle of the street. It later shows the man falling to the ground, though the view of the collision itself is obscured by a passing truck.
CBC News reached out to Brandon Police Service and the province to clarify whether the police vehicle hit the man, but did not hear back prior to publication.
"He was down pretty hard and fast," said Bournon, adding that officers then swarmed the man and put him into one of their vehicles.
The man was taken to hospital, where he was found to have sustained a broken arm during the incident, according to the Independent Investigation Unit.
On Monday, Brandon police notified the watchdog agency of the incident. The IIU is mandated to investigate all serious incidents involving police in the province.
Bournon was not aware of the police watchdog's investigation into the incident, but said he would be willing to share the video he took with investigators.
The IIU is asking any witnesses and anyone with information or video footage of the incident to contact the unit toll-free at 1-844-667-6060.
With files from Özten Shebahkeget