(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
A lack of evidence and a delay in reporting are two of the reasons the Independent Investigation Unit says two off-duty Manitoba RCMP officers won’t be charged after allegedly driving their vehicles recklessly while impaired.
The IIU says two officers attended a co-workers’ party on June 30, 2017 and consumed alcohol before driving their personal vehicles at high speeds and doing “donuts” on Highway 44. The IIU says no one was injured and the incident was reported to Manitoba East District RCMP on July 6.
Following an initial investigation, RCMP “D” Division in Winnipeg was notified on August 11 and contacted the IIU.
“The IIU interviewed 11 witnesses who attended the party in the rural municipality of Whitemouth but was unable to locate any additional witnesses nor any relevant video,” the unit said in a release.
IIU Civilian Director Zane Tessler said that the delay in reporting significantly affected the ability of investigators to gather evidence.
The unit was also not able to determine how much alcohol had been consumed by either officer at the party, how much may have been in their system at the time, or whether they drove their own vehicles as reported.
