Man behaving ‘erratically’ dies after Winnipeg police Taser him: IIU

A 42-year-old man is dead after officers used a Taser on him, according to the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS).

Police responded after receiving several calls shortly before 4:30 a.m. Sunday requesting a well-being check on a man in the 600 block McMeans Avenue East, police said in a news release.

“He was walking up and down the street in an erratic manner and was removing his clothing,” the release said.

“One of the calls was made by the man himself and a woman who indicated they were experiencing adverse effects of drug consumption.”

Another report was made to police minutes later. This time, police said the caller was a resident who reported the man assaulted him after breaking into their home.

“Officers arrived on the scene and found the affected person naked and acting erratically,” according to a news release from the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU).

He was also allegedly refusing to comply with the officers’ commands, and began running eastward, it continued.

The police watchdog said patrollers made “numerous verbal warnings,” before using a Taser on him.

A brief struggle followed before he was taken into custody, the IIU said.

WPS said officers called an ambulance as the man was “displaying signs of an agitated chaotic event.”

He became unresponsive and CPR was administered while police waited for paramedics to arrive, WPS said. The man was taken to hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead.

A Winnipeg police officer also sustained a minor leg injury during the encounter, according to police.

The WPS said it turned the investigation over to the IIU because it involved a fatal use of force encounter.