Fatal shooting by Winnipeg police officers ‘unavoidable’: IIU

The Independent Investigation Unit has ruled that a fatal police shooting in the North End last fall was justified.

Shortly after midnight on Sept. 13, Winnipeg police officers shot and killed a 23-year-old armed man following a crime spree.

After interviewing 18 witnesses and 11 officers,  IIU Director Zane Tessler said the shooting was “justified and unavoidable.”

Police were first called about an assault at 11:15 p.m. on the Friday. A woman on Pritchard Avenue said she had been approached by a man with a gun. She was not seriously injured.

At 11:45 p.m. another woman on Pritchard Avenue said she was pulling her car into her garage when an armed man demanded she get out of the vehicle. He then took the car and drove off. She was not hurt.

A short time later, a business on 1400 block Notre Dame Avenue was robbed.

Police tracked the stolen vehicle to the 400 block of Alfred Avenue. When the man got out of the car and pointed a gun at his own head, members of the Tactical Unit ordered him to drop the weapon.

Adrian Lacquette was shot when he pointed his gun at police. He was rushed to Health Sciences Centre where he was pronounced dead.

The gun was later discovered to be a replica.

WATCH: Cst. Jay Murray talks about the shooting that ended with a 23-year-old Winnipeg male suspect dead 

1:55 Winnipeg police update media on fatal police involved shooting

Tessler said Lacquette put police in a position of having to use force.

“His 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,” Tessler wrote.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "His 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," Tessler wrote.

“This is an unfortunate yet all too familiar circumstance seen across Canada and the United States in situations similar to this.”