Two Winnipeg police officers won’t be charged in relation to an arrest of a man outside Siloam Mission last summer, the province’s police watchdog has concluded.
The Independent Investigation Unit says their findings have determined while police did use force, it was necessary and not excessive given the situation.
The investigation stems from the arrest of a man on August 8 outside the Winnipeg homeless shelter after police were called for a disturbance on Stanley Street. The man was agitated, aggressive and refused to obey police commands. He was first pepper-sprayed and then Tasered in an effort to subdue him. Once at Health Sciences Centre, he was sedated and later found to have suffered a collapsed lung and three fractured ribs.
IIU investigators interviewed a number of witnesses, including five staff members of Siloam Mission who witnessed the arrest. They also interviewed the man who was arrested, but he was unable to provide any details to them. They further interviewed the attending physician at HSC who stated it was possible the man had suffered his injuries prior to his interaction with police.
