19-year-old dies in officer-involved shooting: Winnipeg police

Manitoba's police watchdog agency is looking into a fatal officer-involved shooting in Fort Richmond Sunday afternoon.

Winnipeg police say it happened Dec. 31 around 2:20 p.m., when officers were called to an apartment suite in the first 100 block of University Crescent for reports of a man acting erratically.

"Two officers were dispatched to the apartment to assist, and upon arrival, they encountered multiple people inside the suite, including a man armed with two knives," said Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth at a news conference on New Year's Day.

"Officers, moments later, were involved in a use of force encounter that resulted in the male being shot by one of our officers," Smyth added.

Police provided emergency medical care to the 19-year-old. He was rushed to hospital in critical condition where he died from his injuries. Two other people in the suite – a 21-year-old man and 19-year-old woman - were not injured.

Smyth said the deceased is previously known to police. "We had one other encounter with him sometime last July, where we assisted him by providing him with a ride. But he has no other record with us, and certainly no criminal record."

As with all officer-related shootings, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) has now assumed responsibility for the case. It will notify next-of-kin and inform the public of its findings once the investigation is over.