Officer who shot dog dead after it bit him won’t face charges

A Manitoba First Nations police officer will not face charges for fatally shooting a dog last year, despite the Crown describing the officer’s conduct as “concerning.”

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba announced it would not recommend charges Monday, more than a year after the incident was reported to the police watchdog.

A Manitoba First Nations Police Service officer went to a home in Swan Lake First Nation to make an arrest in June 2025, the IIU said. No arrest was made as the person police were looking for was not there. As the officer was leaving, a dog chained outside bit him.

The officer later returned with a carbine rifle and shot and killed the dog.

The IIU, which began its investigation last July, sent its findings to the Manitoba Prosecution Service for a Crown opinion in February. The Crown responded last month, finding that while the officer’s conduct was “concerning,” the available evidence did not support charges under either the Criminal Code or the Animal Care Act, which governs the treatment and lawful destruction of animals.

The Crown did not recommend charges.

“Given that the Manitoba Prosecution Service’s opinion is that the standard for prosecuting charges has not been met, the civilian director will not be authorizing charges,” the IIU report said.

The officer told investigators he kicked the dog in the face and had to retreat into the home to get away. He also told the person in the home that the dog may need to be put down because it had bitten someone the previous day.

The IIU was able to confirm the previous bite, and the investigation said the person the officer was talking to at the home said “go ahead” after the officer said the dog needed to be shot, believing that because of the previous bite, the dog would have had to be taken to a vet to be euthanized.

Security footage showed the officer returning to the police station, retrieving a carbine rifle and leaving again. GPS data showed he returned to the home and parked at the far end of the driveway, away from the residence.

After the dog was shot, footage showed the officer returning to the detachment, placing the rifle back in its case and adding two rounds to its magazine. Family members and children where home at the time of the shooting.

An internal Manitoba First Nations Police Service report found the officer was within reason to use lethal force because of the dog’s aggressive behaviour. However, it also found the officer “failed to consider” less-lethal options and recommended further training.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca