Police acted appropriately in skywalk shooting, IIU determines

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This article was published 31/07/2017 (3001 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg police officer acted reasonably when he shot a 25-year-old man in the Graham Avenue skywalk, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba has concluded.

On May 1, at around 12:20 p.m., the man, later identified as Joshua Pardy, entered an optometrist’s office holding a black stick with the end hidden in his armpit. Pardy, according to a three-month investigation by the investigation unit, tried to hold the door shut, but nearby officers were able to force their way in. The downtown police station is connected to the skywalk.

Pardy pulled the stick from under his arm, revealing scissors taped to the hidden end, and allegedly aimed the sharp point in the officers’ direction. Moments later, one officer fired two rounds, striking Pardy in his right side and leaving him with non-life-threatening wounds.

An audio recording of a more than two-minute long 911 call made by Pardy before the shooting revealed the officer commanded he drop his weapon 14 times before shots were fired.

In his official report on the incident, Zane Tessler, the investigation unit’s civilian director, wrote the officer “was faced with a dangerous and dynamic situation that unfolded quickly. It would be unreasonable for police to wait before acting. Any delay could have led to the death of WPS officers or other civilians within the (optometrist’s) office.”

The report concluded there are no grounds for criminal charges against the officer

After being released from hospital, Pardy was arrested and is facing five charges of assault with a weapon and one charge of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He goes to court on Sept. 14.

Because the charges are outstanding, an investigation unit spokeswoman said further details are sparse, and won’t be released to avoid any prejudice prior to Pardy’s court appearance. Once the charges are dealt with in court, Tessler’s full report will be posted online.

In conducting the investigation, the unit interviewed Pardy, eight witness officers and 11 civilian witnesses.

The Independent Investigations Unit handles all serious incidents involving police in Manitoba. It was established following the 2005 death of Crystal Taman, who was killed in a car crash by Derek Harvey-Zenk, an off-duty police officer who had several charges, including impaired driving and criminal negligence causing death, stayed by the Crown after a botched investigation by East St. Paul police.

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca