Manitoba’s police watchdog agency says ” the choice to use a less-lethal force was appropriate, reasonable and not excessive,” during a stand-off last summer in The Pas.
The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) of Manitoba said RCMP responded to a call from a man who claimed he was going to kill himself on July 30, 2019.
When officers arrived they saw the man in a second-storey window holding a long-barreled gun.
More officers were called in, including a negotiator, in an effort to deescalate the situation.
Over a four hour period, the man taunted officers to shoot him by going in and out of the residence. Police observed the male with three different firearms during that time.
Investigators say that at one point the man approached officers with his hands in the air then lowered them to his waist. When the man refused to show his hands one officer fired a less-lethal firearm known as an Extended Range Impact Weapon (ERIW), striking the man in the chest.
An ERIW fires a 40-millimetre foam-tipped projectile.
The stand-off ended about 90 minutes later when the man came out of the residence and was taken into custody.
The suspect was treated for a bruise and abrasion on his chest.
The IIU investigated the incident as part of their mandate. Any injury resulting from the use of a police firearm is considered a serious injury under IIU regulations.
© News4.ca 2020
