18-year-old shot and killed by police in Portage la Prairie, RCMP say
Mounties were responding to domestic disturbance call early Wednesday morning
Manitoba's police watchdog is investigating after an 18-year-old man was shot and killed by police in Portage la Prairie, Man., early Wednesday morning.
RCMP were called to a domestic disturbance around 1:05 a.m. at an apartment building on Hazel Bay in the city about 80 kilometres west of Winnipeg, Mounties said later Wednesday in a news release.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which investigates all serious incidents involving police in the province, said the incident began when an unknown woman started banging on a door saying her boyfriend was trying to kill her, according to RCMP reports.
RCMP said the woman was found safe in another apartment. But when they went to the man's apartment, police said they were "were confronted with a weapon."
That's when two officers "unsuccessfully" deployed their stun guns around 1:07 a.m., while one officer shot his gun, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said in its own news release.
Resuscitation efforts were made, but the man was pronounced dead, the watchdog's release said.
RCMP said one officer had minor physical injuries.
The police watchdog said a team of its investigators was immediately sent to the apartment.
Since someone died, it said it will make a request for a civilian monitor to the Manitoba Police Commission.
Anyone who saw what happened or has information or video footage that might help investigators is asked to contact the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba toll-free at 1-844-667-6060.