Proposed law would change some of the rules overseeing Manitoba police
The Manitoba government plans to bolster the civilian-led agency that investigates potential police wrongdoing, but is stopping short of requiring all officers to co-operate with probes.
A bill introduced in the legislature Monday would introduce fines and jail time for most officers who do not comply with "reasonable" requests from the Independent Investigation Unit. It would expand the range of people who can be investigated to include civilian employees of a police service.
The bill would also forbid the unit from hiring active police officers as investigators and create a director of Indigenous and community relations to build bridges with First Nations, Metis, Inuit and other communities.
"There are many changes in this bill that create more accountability requirements for police," Justice Minister Cameron Friesen said.
The bill stems from an independent review of the law governing police last fall and was originally scheduled to be debated last spring. But Friesen pulled the bill, citing a need for more consultation following a probe into the fatal police shooting of Eishia Hudson, an Indigenous teen in Winnipeg.
Hudson was shot after a chase in a stolen Jeep following an alleged robbery at a liquor store. At the time, Winnipeg police said Hudson was driving the Jeep when it ran into a police cruiser and a number of other cars.
The Independent Investigation Unit recommended against charging the officer, saying video taken by a driver stopped at a nearby traffic light showed officers were in danger of being hit by the vehicle. The unit said the officer who fired the shots declined to be interviewed but did volunteer his notes and a prepared statement.
Friesen's bill would require officers involved to co-operate with investigators unless they are the ones suspected of wrongdoing. He said the exemption is needed to comply with police contracts and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"We cannot simply override the protections that police officers have in their collective agreements. We can't override what the charter says about your right not to incriminate yourself," he said.
The Opposition New Democrats said there should be a way to ensure more police co-operate.
"At the end of the day, we also have to ensure that investigations are thorough and robust," NDP justice critic Nahanni Fontaine said.
"And some would submit that ... an officer who's involved in the particular complaint or investigation should be interviewed."
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said it had yet to review the bill, but was pleased with the amount of consultation the Progressive Conservative government had engaged in.
"We actually had some of our best and brightest working alongside the minister and his staff," assembly Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Minister said 'hundreds' of Canadians might use Gaza visa. More than 7,500 applied.
An immigration lawyer in Toronto says new figures from the federal government show just how 'grudging' Ottawa's efforts have been to rescue Canadians' family members from the war in the Gaza Strip.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.