Fatal police shooting during mental health call in Winnipeg justified, watchdog says

CBC

31-01-2025

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Manitoba's police watchdog says officers' use of lethal force was justified when they fatally shot a 59-year-old man while responding to a mental health call in Winnipeg.
The Independent Investigation Unit said Friday it's wrapped up an investigation into the death of Bradley Singer, who was killed at his home on Magnus Avenue in February 2024.
Police said the man was agitated and held a crowbar when he opened the door to the officers, and that he sprayed them with a fire extinguisher before barricading himself inside a bedroom on the second floor.
They said the officers shot Singer when he left the room, confronting them with a "large edged weapon."
Singer's death was one in a series of fatal shootings involving Winnipeg police that sparked calls for change in how local authorities respond to people in crisis.
The full report by the police watchdog's acting civilian director said an autopsy at Health Sciences Centre found Singer had multiple gunshot wounds on his torso and right arm.
The report said two members of the police tactical support team — who were called in and got into the home through the front window — shot Singer when he confronted them with an axe at the top of the stairway the second time they tried to go upstairs.
"It is my view that, in the full consideration of the circumstances of this tragic incident, the use of lethal force by the subject officer was authorized and justified by law," wrote Bruce Sychuk.
"There are no reasonable grounds to support any charges against the subject officers."
Tactical team called previously
The report includes summaries of interviews with 13 police and seven civilian witnesses, as well as written statements submitted by the two officers who shot Singer.
It said police were called in after Singer's community health worker indicated he'd been violent, was off his medication and had not been attending appointments.
They were served with a Form 2 order under the Mental Health Act, which requires peace officers to take a person into custody for examination by a physician as soon as possible.
Witness officers said police had gone to Singer's home for mental health calls in the past, and the tactical support team had also been called once a few weeks before the shooting.
Independent Investigation Unit investigators found wooden barricades attached to the home's front and back doors.
One of the officers — who was assigned as the tactical team's supervisor — said Singer had exhibited suicidal behaviour in the past, but that he did not have information that Singer could be violent toward police.
Witnesses said Singer sprayed them with the fire extinguisher through a cat door when they first tried to speak with him through a closed door upstairs. They said that made it hard for them to see and breathe, and they retreated.
Three tactical team members — one leading with a ballistic shield, one with a rifle and the last one carrying a less-than-lethal beanbag shotgun — tried to establish contact while the rest of the team stayed downstairs.
'Chopping motion'
The two officers who shot Singer said they noticed a wooden barricade that had been placed under the door was gone.
The officer who held the shield said Singer raised his axe in the air toward them in a "chopping motion," after which he fired his pistol.
The one with the rifle said he saw the axe handle hit the top of the shield with the blade entering the space between it and the officer's head, after which he fired "between two and four rounds" at Singer.
The IIU's investigator found yellow dust believed to be from the fire extinguisher in several areas of the house, including the upstairs rooms, as well as shell casings at the top of the stairs.
Police said they had tried to communicate with Singer throughout, using loud hailers and sirens when entering and announcing themselves before going upstairs.
The report said there were several CCTV cameras placed around the residence, but they weren't attached to any recording device.