An RCMP officer from Portage la Prairie has been cleared of any wrongdoing after he shot the suspect in a manhunt in the buttocks.
The incident happened on June 27, 2017. RCMP began a search for a suspect after they received reports of an armed male who had stolen a vehicle in Headingley. According to the report shots were fired at that time.
Officers located the vehicle in Portage la Prairie and collided with it. The suspect fled the vehicle with a firearm according to police reports. Schools in the area were locked down as police conducted a manhunt and residents were advised to lock doors and stay inside.
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After several hours the suspect was spotted outside the police search area walking along the Trans-Canada Highway.
He was chased into a field by officers and refused to listen to orders to stop and show his hands. One of the RCMP officers fired two shots at the man after he appeared to reach for his waistband. One of the shot hit the man in the butt.
The suspect was taken to hospital in stable condition, treated and discharged several days later.
The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) was called in to investigate whether the shooting was reasonable and justified based on the circumstances.
IIU Civilian Director Zane Tessler said that the officer was in a potentially volatile situation and believed the suspect was intent on shooting officers. Tessler found it reasonable for the officer to fire his weapon at the suspect to prevent the death of any officers.
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