Manitoba’s police watchdog announced via press release Oct. 26 that it is investigating the shooting of a Thompson man by an RCMP officer on Monday.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU), which looks into serious allegations involving on- and off-duty police officers in the province, said it was notified yesterday of the incident, which resulted in a 30-year-old man being taken to hospital for treatment of serious injuries after being shot by a Thompson RCMP officer around 2:45 p.m. Monday afternoon.
The IIU is not releasing further details at this time and is looking for witnesses, video footage and any other information to assist their investigation. Anyone who saw the shooting or has video of it or other information is asked to call the IIU toll-free at 1-844-667-6060.
The IIU has issued reports on 16 police shootings in Manitoba since 2017, a couple of years after it was formed, 13 of them relating to incidents in Winnipeg. Based on information from the agency’s website, it appears former Thompson RCMP officer Abram Letkeman, who was found not guilty of manslaughter in the fatal 2015 shooting of Steven Campbell, is the only officer in the province charged after shooting someone since the IIU was established in 2015. Another officer was charged for shooting a gun in an incident in which no one was hit.
