A suspect who police said assaulted an officer late Tuesday night near St. Laurent is dead after being shot by RCMP.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba is now investigating the incident that began on Highway 6.
In a release the IIU said according to the Mounties, a man was being escorted from Ashern to Winnipeg when a physical fight broke out between him and an officer, and the officer was assaulted.
RCMP said the suspect then took the officer’s gun and van and drove away.
Officials had issued a public safety warning Tuesday night as they searched for a male suspect they said was considered to be armed and dangerous.
RCMP officials said that at 11:50 p.m. on Wednesday, officers located the stolen vehicle and the male suspect on Highway 417, near Lake Manitoba First Nation. The IIU release said the chase ended with the van the suspect was driving in the ditch.
While he was being arrested, the suspect was shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The IIU is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police officers in the province under the Police Services Act.
