Winnipeg police apologized Wednesday for a controversial photo that made the rounds on social media late last week.
The photo shows Winnipeg officers and fire paramedics posing with a vulnerable man while an officer takes a photo.
The photo was taken on Grant Avenue Friday afternoon, where police said a man was initially assessed for medical reasons by fire paramedics and ultimately determined to be intoxicated, which required a police presence to transport him to safe lodging at the Main Street Project.
Const. Rob Carver said the investigation has determined that an officer did take a photo at the scene.
“We apologize to this individual. We know the citizens of Winnipeg expect us to treat everyone with dignity and respect and they deserve nothing less.”
Carver said the person who took the photo will be disciplined through their “regulatory process.” In the meantime, the subject of the photo has been spoken to, Carver added, but he said he didn’t know the details of that conversation.
The city says early information showed WFPS crews were treating the individual in a professional and respectful manner.
But, in a statement, a city of Winnipeg spokesperson said, “New information has come to light and the investigation into this incident continues.”
The photo drew the attention of Mayor Brian Bowman over the weekend, who tweeted, “If valid, it’s obviously unbecoming of what’s expected by our emergency responders.”
Comments