The logo of the Manitoba First Nations Police Service. Photo: APTN file
For the second time in three weeks, a police watchdog agency has found use-of-force by police to be reasonable.
The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) of Manitoba released its’ review of a year-old case Wednesday involving an injury sustained by an adult male from Long Plain First Nation, which is about an hour west of Winnipeg.
The man was in the Long Plain detachment of the Manitoba First Nations Police Service (MFNPS) on Jan. 29, 2024, according to an IIU news release, following an incident that occurred in the community on Jan. 24.
Officers arrested the man after responding to a call about a “physical altercation,” the release added.
“While in custody, the adult male was agitated and threatened to harm himself,” said the IIU, which reviewed video footage from the site and interviewed the victim and a civilian witness. “As officers entered the cell, a struggle with the male began and a use-of-force encounter occurred.
“The male later complained of dizziness and was taken to Portage (la Prairie) District General Hospital, where it was determined he had a suffered a facial fracture.”
IIU investigators also reviewed the male’s medical records, the release said.
“Following due consideration of all the circumstances and evidence, the civilian director concluded the force used by the subject officers was reasonable.”
More information would be released once the man’s charges are dealt with by the courts, the IIU said.
The MFNPS serves 10 First Nations in Manitoba.
Sided with police
It’s the second time in recent weeks a law enforcement oversight agency has sided with police.
On Dec. 20, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) concluded three RCMP officers in Fort McMurray, Alta., appropriately tackled, punched and put a First Nations chief in a chokehold.
The altercation involved Allan Adam, chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, outside that city’s Boomtown casino in 2020.
The ASIRT report said there was no evidence of racist treatment by the officers who were citing Adam for an expired vehicle registration when things turned physical.
“The use of force employed … was necessary to gain control as quickly as possible to try and maintain the safety of both the officers and others present,” ASIRT said.
Adam was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a peace officer, but the Crown stayed the charges in court a few months later.
He said in a statement the conclusion shows ASIRT is “designed to protect the ability of police to assault and terrorize Indigenous people and other racial minorities.
“ASIRT’s suggestion that race did not play a factor in the assault is laughable,” Adam added. “These incidents do not occur to wealthy white people in Alberta.”
