Following an investigation by Manitoba’s police watchdog, two Winnipeg officers will not be charged in connection with an incident where, after an arrest, a man was found to have a collapsed lung.
The Independent Investigation Unit said around 8 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2018, police went to Stanley Street, outside Siloam Mission, due to a report that a man was “causing a disturbance.”
The watchdog describes the man as being agitated and aggressive and said he refused to listen to police commands.
After the man reportedly struggled with police, officers used pepper spray and a Taser.
Because the man’s agitated behavior continued, he was then taken to Health Sciences Centre where he was sedated. It was then that it was discovered he had a collapsed lung, as well as three fractured ribs. He was admitted to hospital on an in-patient basis, and the Independent Investigation Unit began to investigate..
The watchdog interviewed several people, including five staff from Siloam Mission who saw the arrest. They also spoke with the injured man, but said he wasn’t able to provide any information.
According to a news release, the doctor who treated the man at HSC told the Independent Investigation Unit that he potentially had been hurt before his arrest by Winnipeg police.
Zane Tressler, the IIU civilian director, said in a report that though the officers used force during the arrest, it was necessary and not excessive. He also noted that since it’s possible the man’s injuries happened before the arrest, there’s no reasonable or probable grounds to charge the two officers.
