Winnipeg Police officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing regarding a police pursuit and subsequent collision between two vehicles at Redwwod and Mcphillips.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) has concluded that officers acted appropriately.

It happened on May 23, 2016 around 2:30 am., Winnipeg Police in an attempt to stop a vehicle that did not have plates that matched the vehicle activated their lights and siren. The vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, with six people on board accelerated away, west on Redwood. The driver ran a red light at Mcphillips and collided with a Chrysler 200 traveling northbound on McPhillips.

The two occupants of the Chrysler were treated for minor scrapes and bruises. One occupant of the Toyota suffered a broken femur while another incurred a fractured vertebra.

The IIU investigation has determined that the officers were justified in the handling of the pursuit. 

As the Toyota pulled away from police, officers turned off their emergency lights, slowed their cruiser and did not attempt to keep pace as the Toyota was travelling more than 94 km/h. Radio communication between the officers and the police communications centre as well as video surveillance video of the collision supports the IIU findings.

IIU Civilian Director Zane Tessler determined the actions of the police officers were justified and appropriate for the circumstances. In his report on the incident, he wrote “the driver of the Toyota was intent on fleeing from police, was driving at extremely high speeds, disobeyed traffic control devices and was solely responsible for the collision with the Chrysler and subsequent injuries sustained by everyone.”

-News4 Staff-