Manitoba officer will not face charges after man shot with foam-tipped bullet

Manitoba’s police watchdog has concluded an investigation into an incident in The Pas last year that saw a 36-year-old man injured after an RCMP officer fired a “less lethal” weapon, saying the Mountie will not face charges.

During the early morning of July 30, 2019, police in The Pas responded to a call from the man, who said he wanted to kill himself, according to the Independent Investigation Unit (IIU).

A pair of police rushed to the home and spotted the man through the second-storey window, holding a long gun.

They called for backup, with a crisis negotiator and an officer trained to use “less lethal” weapons among the cops responding.

Over the next four hours, the man tried to goad officers to shoot him and brandished several other guns.

At one point, the IIU said, the man walked towards police with his hands in the air — then lowered them to his waist, refusing to show officers his hands when asked to do so.

That’s when one Mountie fired a low-velocity extended range impact weapon — a firearm that shoots foam-tipped projectiles — into the man’s chest.

The IIU said the weapon didn’t have much of an effect, and the man ran back into the home.

He eventually exited the home about 90 minutes later and was safely taken into custody.

After being taken to the local police station, the man was treated for a bruise and scratches on his chest.

Any injury from a weapon used by police is considered serious, and the IIU was mandated to look into the situation.

After completing the investigation, civilian director Zane Tessler said the officer’s actions — and those of his fellow Mounties — fit the situation, noting “the choice to use a less lethal force was appropriate, reasonable and not excessive.”

While the officer will not be charged, the man apprehended after the standoff remains before the court on charges stemming from the incident.