Manitoba’s police watchdog will not be pressing charges against Winnipeg officers who fired 16 shots at the driver of a stolen pickup truck speeding toward them last spring.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) says an investigation into the April 11, 2025, shooting found that officers were justified over fears for their safety and the safety of the public.
The IIU report says officers were trying to block the suspected drunk driver with their vehicles on Home Street between Portage Avenue and St. Matthews Avenue.
“The driver of the stolen vehicle reversed and struck a civilian vehicle behind it,” the report reads. “The driver proceeded forward toward a police vehicle and members outside their vehicle. In response, officers discharged their firearms.”
Witnesses have described the area of the shooting as a busy neighbourhood street where children were playing.
The IIU says the driver veered onto a boulevard to escape police and later crashed into a house, causing the truck’s fuel tank to explode and the house to catch on fire.
No residents were inside the house. No injuries to the suspect or officers were reported.
Some witnesses criticized the police for firing their guns and said they were shocked no one in the neighbourhood was hurt.
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