Manitoba’s police watchdog has cleared two Winnipeg police officers in the fatal shooting of an armed suspect last fall.
Adrian Lacquette, 23, was a suspect in a commercial robbery on September 12, 2017, as well as a carjacking and domestic assault the same evening.
Shortly after midnight on the 13th, the Air 1 police helicopter followed a stolen vehicle being driven by the suspect to the area of Powers Street and Alfred Avenue. The man got out of the vehicle holding a firearm and pointed it at his own head. The Independent Investigation Unit says the man ignored repeated demands to drop the weapon and turned it on officers as they moved in. Two members of the tactical support team fired their weapons.
The suspect was taken to the Health Sciences Centre and later died. His weapon turned out to a replica firearm.
The IIU interviewed 18 civilian witnesses and 11 witness officers, as well as reviewed police radio transmissions and video from various sources.
“His [the suspect’s] action of pointing his weapon at a police officer is consistent with a person who wishes to instigate a police shooting to accomplish that purpose,” said IIU civilian director Zane Tessler.
“This is an unfortunate yet all too familiar circumstance seen across Canada and the United States in situations similar to this.”
As required under the Fatality Inquiries Act, an inquest into the death will be conducted.
