Manitoba's police watchdog investigates after man bitten by police dog in Sandy Bay First Nation
MFNPS officers were trying to arrest the man after an early Thursday morning incident, IIU says
Manitoba's police watchdog is investigating a serious injury following the arrest of a man early Thursday morning in Sandy Bay First Nation, northwest of Winnipeg.
Officers with the Manitoba First Nations Police Service tried to pull over a vehicle that was involved in an earlier incident, according to a Friday release from the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba.
The car was driven into the ditch, and after stopping a man was seen running away from the area, the release said.
Police tracked the man to a trailer where he had been hiding. When they arrived, the man threatened to shoot the officers while holding a weapon in his hand, the release said.
When the man eventually surrendered to the officers, police say he lunged at them with an undisclosed object in his hand. Officers deployed a police dog who then bit the man, causing serious injury.
The man was taken to Portage District General Hospital, where he was admitted and treated for his injuries.
Internal injuries that require hospital admission are defined as a serious injury under IIU regulations, so the watchdog is mandated to investigate.
Anyone with information or video footage that could assist the investigation are asked to contact the IIU toll-free at 1-844-667-6060.