Residents in shock day after officer-involved shooting in Winnipeg apartment

Questions linger after officer-involved shooting Michelle Gerwing reports on how residents are reacting after a man was shot by police inside a Main Street apartment building.

Residents of an apartment building remain shaken up following an officer-involved shooting inside Wednesday afternoon that killed an armed man.

The corner of Jarvis Avenue and Main Street has been eerily quiet Thursday.

Usually, the space in front of North Point Douglas Manor at 817 Main Street is a popular hangout for residents, but Sue Caribou told CTV News everyone is scared and staying inside.

"(It’s) quiet and spooky today," Caribou said.

"I didn't get to sleep until 4:30 in the morning. I was scared that maybe that person is still hiding around here."

Caribou captured a short video showing a large police presence outside the Manitoba Housing complex Wednesday afternoon. At that time, she said she didn’t know someone inside had been shot by police.

Caribou said she didn’t hear any gunshots, but when she heard the sirens, she made sure to lock and secure the door to her suite.

According to Winnipeg police, several calls came from people inside the building at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. The callers said there was a man who was armed with two edged weapons in the building.

"The male was armed with and swinging edged weapons, banging on tenants’ doors," said Acting Police Chief Art Stannard. "All the details we received from the callers indicate there was a risk to the public."

Stannard said three police officers encountered the armed man in the hallway, where he was Tasered and shot by an officer. Stannard didn’t say how many times the man was shot.

"Our thoughts are with everybody involved in this tragic incident," he said, adding WPS officers never want to take a life.

"They reacted to the actions that this person and they're in a critical incident program. We will support them," he said.

Winnipeg Police said the man was given immediate medical attention on-scene, but he later died in hospital. His name has not been released publicly.

Caribou said she saw a man get taken out of the building on a stretcher who was actively being worked on by a paramedic.

"I don't know if the person got caught or if it was the person that they were working on," she said.

The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) is now investigating. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information or footage of what happened can call 1-844-667-6060.

The IIU told CTV News there have now been eight incidents reported this year that have involved fatalities, and all are still ongoing investigations.

Last year, there were 13 incidents involving fatalities reported to the IIU. Nine of those are still under investigation; the other four were closed with no charges.

Caribou hasn’t heard if the man who was shot lived in the building or happened to get in somehow. She said she and her neighbours are waiting for more news on what happened.

"Everybody's just still wondering, and some are in shock," she said. "There's elders and disability people here and to have guns and weapons, you know, that, it would traumatize the elders."

Caribou spent Thursday morning checking on the elders she knows in the building to make sure they’re doing alright.

"We're a big family," she said. "We look after each other and we're there for each other to support one another, and we check on the elders, because that's why I don't want to move, because I don't want to leave the elders."