Doug Palson, chief of police of the Manitoba First Nations Police Service. (MFNP.CA)
A Manitoba police chief is believed to have died Wednesday after a house fire in the RM of Portage la Prairie.
The home was confirmed as belonging to Doug Palson, chief of police for the Manitoba First Nations Police Service.
Emergency crews were called to a residence off of Road 30 W, located north of High Bluff, just before 5 a.m.
Once the fire was extinguished, investigators discovered human remains in the home. The identity of the deceased has yet to be confirmed.
“Although the investigation is on-going, we believe that Chief Palson was the victim of this tragic incident,” the MFNP said in a statement. “Manitoba First Nation Police Service is working closely alongside the Manitoba RCMP, and the Office of the Fire Commissioner during this process.”
At an unrelated event Thursday, Premier Wab Kinew called Palson one “heck of a guy” and said his impact is felt beyond the communities where he worked.
“He was somebody who believed in public safety, devoted his life to it and was working hard to make First Nations communities safer across Manitoba,” Kinew told reporters.
Palson began his career with the Brandon Police Service, says an online biography. He advanced in rank to join that force’s senior leadership team.
He also worked in northwestern Ontario for six years as chief of the Dryden Police Service.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Updated on Thursday, January 9.
