A Brandon Police officer will not face any charges in a case surrounding the use of a less lethal firearm.
In June 2019, Brandon Police were called to a home to remove a male causing a disturbance.
As officers arrived the male was leaving through a back door. As officers were talking to the man he pulled out a large knife and claimed he had a sawed-off shotgun as well. He told police “just shoot me, I want to die.”
The suspect continued to make suicidal comments and threw the knife towards one of the officers.
Investigators say at that point an officer fired his taser but it had no effect on the man. The officer then fired a “beanbag” round from his shotgun hitting the suspect in the back and causing him to fall to the ground.
The male was taken into custody. A medical exam showed the male had minor injuries to his back, including a welt and swelling.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) was mandated to investigate the incident due to the nature of the injuries and determined the officer’s use of a less lethal option was judicious and appropriate.
No reasonable grounds exist to charge the subject officer said the IIU.
© News4.ca 2020
