(Handcuffs image via Shutterstock)
An officer with the Dakota Ojibway Police Service has been cleared after a suspect claimed he suffered a broken wrist while in custody.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba initiated an investigation after the man’s arrest on May 19, 2016. Police were called to a residence where the homeowner was trying to prevent her son from breaking in.
The man had been trying to get in through a broken window and was bleeding from lacerations. He was arrested and taken to hospital in Portage la Prairie for treatment. His left wrist was x-rayed after he complained of pain, but was found to have not suffered a fracture or dislocation.
The IIU says the man claimed in court the next day hat officers had broken his wrist, triggering an investigation by the police watchdog.
IIU civilian director Zane Tessler says based on interviews, and the medical and x-ray reports, the suspect did not suffer any fractured bones to his left wrist or arm and accordingly did not suffer a serious injury as defined by IIU regulations.
The force used by the arresting officer was also found to be reasonable in the circumstances.
