Winnipeg officer won’t face charges after fatal shooting: police watchdog – Winnipeg

Manitoba’s police watchdog says a Winnipeg officer who shot and killed a man a little more than a year ago won’t face charges.

Winnipeg police told the Independent Investigative Unit of Manitoba that officers tried to conduct a traffic stop and a man tried to flee in a stolen pickup truck, pinning one officer against a fence.

Agency officials say officers followed the truck to a parking lot after learning it had been stolen and began to arrest the woman who was driving when the passenger got behind the wheel to drive away.

The woman pushed back against the officer to stop him from reaching the man, but he pushed her head down, pulled out his gun and shot the man multiple times.

The watchdog says the truck hit a fence, and the man, who was slumped over the steering wheel, was taken to hospital in critical condition and later died.

Acting Civilian Director Bruce Sychuk says the officer was justified in using force, so the agency won’t be recommending charges.

“In the full consideration of the circumstances of this tragic incident, the use of lethal force by the subject officer was authorized and justified by law. There are no reasonable grounds to support any charges against the subject officer,” Sychuk wrote in a report released Wednesday.

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