No charges laid after police use 'less lethal' shotgun on suspect: IIU
Manitoba's police watchdog agency has cleared the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) of any wrongdoing after a woman was injured during an arrest last spring.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) said in a news release Friday that it had concluded its investigation into an incident that took place the evening of March 22, 2022. Police had been dispatched to a pizza restaurant at the corner of Main Street and Euclid Avenue for reports of a woman with a knife.
A female suspect had allegedly cut someone on a Winnipeg Transit bus, and was now barricaded inside the restaurant.
The IIU report said officers tried to disarm the woman in several different ways, including using pepper spray and a Taser. The suspect did not comply, prompting police to use a "less lethal" shotgun, which shoots small bean bags instead of shells.
The woman was shot twice with the bean bag shotgun - first in the arm, and then in the leg. The IIU said she suffered bruising and lacerations as a result, triggering the investigation.
"The less lethal shotgun is a firearm for purposes under the Police Services Act (PSA). Any injury resulting from its use would constitute a serious injury pursuant to IIU regulation 99/2015," said the news release.
IIU investigators spoke with witnesses and reviewed all records of the incident. The woman chose not to participate in the investigation.
The final report found that the use of force in this situation was justified.
"The actions of the WPS officers … represents a textbook example in dealing with an armed individual and negating the risks posed without causing significant physical harm," said the report.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.