Man dies days after police ‘used force’ during arrest

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This article was published 16/08/2017 (2438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province’s police watchdog is investigating after a man died in hospital days after Winnipeg police used force while arresting him.

The 44-year-old man, who was arrested on Aug. 9, was taken to hospital on Aug. 11, and died Aug. 13, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said Thursday.

The man had complained to police during his processing after his arrest that he had sore ribs. He was taken to hospital at that time, but officers took him to the Winnipeg Remand Centre after he was “medically cleared” by doctors.

Police told the IIU when the man was arrested they “used force in the course of arresting and processing an individual.”

The IIU has confirmed the charges against the man were possession of a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, assaulting a police officer, and unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm and a prohibited or restricted weapon.

The IIU has taken over the investigation, and because there was a death, the unit has asked the Manitoba Police Commission for a civilian monitor in the case.

Zane Tessler, the IIU’s civilian director, said in a statement he will withhold any comment on how long it took police to notify the unit about the death until the investigation is completed and the incident report is released.

But an IIU spokeswoman said “the IIU takes seriously the obligations of police to meet their reporting requirements under the legislation.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca