Charges have been upgraded against a man accused in a brutal bowling alley assault in Winkler, Man. that left one man dead.
Winkler police said Justin Leslie Bird, 29, from Saskatoon has now been charged with manslaughter.
He was initially facing aggravated assault and possession of a controlled substance offences.
Bird was charged after a Sept. 24 incident at Valley Bowling Lanes in Winkler.
Police said Zachary Straughan, 25, and another man who were working on the same work crew, got into argument over an unpaid debt that turned violent.
According to police, Straughan was hit with a pool cue several times and knocked unconscious. The suspect fled, but was eventually apprehended at a nearby 7-Eleven.
Straughan, also from Saskatoon, was taken to Health Sciences Centre in unstable condition, but later died of his injuries.
Police said Bird is in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Center. He is scheduled to appear in Morden Provincial Court on Oct. 11.
