IIU investigating after man killed by Winnipeg police Friday
Manitoba's police watchdog is investigating the death of a man who was shot by city police after he was found covered in blood and armed with a screw driver in a back alley in St. James Friday.
Gene Bowers, chief of the Winnipeg Police Service, hosted a rare weekend news conference on Saturday afternoon to share details about a fatal shooting that happened one night earlier.
One or more uniformed officers discharged a gun within five minutes of WPS receiving a 911 call about a man who was acting erratically in the 200 block of Ferry Road, Bowers said.
'Last night was a very difficult moment for our community,' he told reporters at WPS headquarters in downtown Winnipeg.
'Our hearts go out to the family who has lost a loved one, to the officers who were involved in a split-second decision that forever changed them.'
Bowers provided few details about the series of events, citing an ongoing probe by the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba.
All serious incidents involving on- and off-duty police officers in the province are referred to the IIU to investigate.
The police chief said West District patrol officers responded to a 'suspicious call' about an unknown man who was covered in blood and appeared to be attempting to break into houses at 6:11 p.m. Friday.
Police located an adult male who fit that description and was armed with a screwdriver at 6:16 p.m., he said.
It was unclear Saturday whether the suspect was covered in his own blood or that of someone or something else's.
Bowers said a use of force encounter occurred and the man was shot, after which emergency responders provided medical care and he was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The man later died of his injuries.
The IIU was alerted of the events late Friday.
maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca
Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter
Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie.
Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative.
Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
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Winnipeg Free Press
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IIU investigating after man killed by Winnipeg police Friday
Manitoba's police watchdog is investigating the death of a man who was shot by city police after he was found covered in blood and armed with a screw driver in a back alley in St. James Friday. Gene Bowers, chief of the Winnipeg Police Service, hosted a rare weekend news conference on Saturday afternoon to share details about a fatal shooting that happened one night earlier. One or more uniformed officers discharged a gun within five minutes of WPS receiving a 911 call about a man who was acting erratically in the 200 block of Ferry Road, Bowers said. 'Last night was a very difficult moment for our community,' he told reporters at WPS headquarters in downtown Winnipeg. 'Our hearts go out to the family who has lost a loved one, to the officers who were involved in a split-second decision that forever changed them.' Bowers provided few details about the series of events, citing an ongoing probe by the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba. All serious incidents involving on- and off-duty police officers in the province are referred to the IIU to investigate. The police chief said West District patrol officers responded to a 'suspicious call' about an unknown man who was covered in blood and appeared to be attempting to break into houses at 6:11 p.m. Friday. Police located an adult male who fit that description and was armed with a screwdriver at 6:16 p.m., he said. It was unclear Saturday whether the suspect was covered in his own blood or that of someone or something else's. Bowers said a use of force encounter occurred and the man was shot, after which emergency responders provided medical care and he was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The man later died of his injuries. The IIU was alerted of the events late Friday. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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