A police watchdog investigation into a 2020 arrest in Thompson that resulted in the suspect suffering a collapsed lung has determined that no criminal charges are warranted.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU), which investigates serious incidents involving on- and off-duty police officers in the province, said Aug. 9 that the civilian director concluded there were no grounds to charge any of the three Thompson RCMP officers involved after hearing from the affected person and five officers and two civilians who witnessed the arrest, as well as examining medical records and other evidence.
The 26-year-old man was arrested Nov. 12 of last year by police responding to a call about a domestic dispute. He was uncooperative and police used a conducted energy weapon, similar to a taser, to subdue him. He was taken to hospital and medically cleared immediately following the arrest, then released back into police custody. The following day, he was brought back to the hospital, at which time he was diagnosed with a collapsed lung and admitted.
The IIU report on the investigation will not be made public right now because the man involved is still before court facing charges related to this incident. The report will be available after those court proceedings are concluded.
