Man, 26, dies after being shot by Winnipeg police during domestic call

A 26-year-old man is dead after he was shot by police who were responding to a domestic call. CTV’s Jeff Keele has more.

A 26-year-old man has died after being shot by Winnipeg police early Friday morning during a domestic call near St. Anne’s Road, just south of Fermor Avenue.

The Winnipeg Police Service said officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence on Morrow Avenue just before 1:30 a.m.

According to the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU), which is now investigating the death, the initial 911 call came from a woman who said her boyfriend had been fighting with her.

She reported a bruised face and requested an ambulance, telling dispatchers her boyfriend was armed with an edged weapon. She also cited a history of violence involving the man and was identified as the protected person in a court order against him, the IIU said.

Police said officers arrived several minutes later and were confronted by the man, who was armed with a weapon. A use-of-force encounter followed at the front entrance of the home, where an officer fired their weapon. Four children were reported inside the home at the time, according to the IIU.

The man was taken to the Health Sciences Centre in critical condition, where he later died of his injuries.

Speaking at a news conference Friday afternoon, WPS Chief Gene Bowers called the shooting a tragic event for everyone involved, describing it as a reminder of the “split-second, life-and-death decisions” officers must make to protect themselves and others.

“Our officers do not come to work at the start of their day planning to take a life,” Bowers said. “It is the last thing they ever want to do, but sometimes it’s a sad reality of police work.”

He said the man was known to police and that one of the responding officers was wearing a body camera.

Bowers noted that Indigenous people were involved in the incident and said he has contacted the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak to inform them of the shooting and help ensure the woman and children involved receive support.

The body-worn camera footage from the scene has been seized by the homicide unit and will be turned over to the IIU, a civilian-led oversight agency mandated to investigate all serious incidents involving police in Manitoba.