RCMP officers cleared in fatal Shamattawa shooting

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This article was published 17/06/2025 (437 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province’s police watchdog has cleared two RCMP officers who fatally shot a man armed with a shotgun in Shamattawa First Nation nearly three years ago.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba released a report on the incident Tuesday. In it, a use-of-force expert said the written versions of events provided by the two officers matches the available evidence.

“The expert did state that a holistic review of police policies, training and community relations may be warranted to prevent similar incidents in the future,” the report states.

At the time, Shamattawa Chief Jordna Hill asked RCMP to undertake a review of its operational policies.

“I further call for a change in the policy of ‘trigger happy’ shoot first and ask questions later… These incidents are becoming too common,” Hill said in a prepared statement.

Police were sent to the community on the afternoon of July 2, 2022, after a 22-year-old man was seen walking around with a shotgun and fired into the ceiling of a home.

One of the officers said a female had told him while police were searching for the man that he had just tried to shoot her.

“This witness could not be located by IIU during the investigation,” the report said.

Officers later heard another shotgun blast and found the man, who they said was crouching and holding the gun. One officer said the man fired at them. The other said he believed the man was about to shoot them after he was told to drop the gun and jerked his hand back.

Both officers fired at the man, who died at Health Sciences Centre days later, on July 5.

“It is my view that, in the full consideration of the circumstances of this tragic incident, the use of lethal force by the subject officers was authorized and justified by law,” the IIU’s acting civilian director, Bruce Sychuk, said in the report.

A video of the aftermath of the shooting made the rounds on social media. In the clip, community members press officers about why they shot the man. Wailing and screaming can be heard. There is no mention of the video in the report.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca