Watchdog won't recommend charges in 2 separate shootings by Winnipeg police officers

Manitoba's police watchdog is not recommending charges against officers in two cases where people were shot by policethis year, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said Tuesday.

The investigative unit found no grounds to lay charges in either case, it said in separate news releases.

The more recent incidents was on the afternoon of July 13, when officersshot and seriously hurt a man who police say was armed with a gun in the Osborne Village area,

A number of officers, including members of the tactical support unit, responded to a residence at 391 Gertrude Ave., just east of Osborne Street, where they found a man armed with a gun, the IIU's news release said.

A Taser was used in an unsuccessfulattempt to disarm him. When he pointed the weapon at police, one of the officers fired their gun at him, the investigative unitsaid.

The man was taken to hospital in unstable condition, but later upgraded to stable condition.

The Independent Investigation Unit was officially notified of theshooting the next day. Its investigation reviewed several pieces of information, including the policeinvestigativereport, audio recordings of the 911 call and police communications, video recordings and a Taser analysis report, according to the release.

The unit also reviewed a statement from theofficer who fired the weapon, along with interviewing witnessofficers, nine civilians and the man who was shot.

The watchdog agency found no reasonable grounds to support any charges against theofficer who fired the gun, and the case has now been closed.

Because thecharges against the man who was shot are still before the courts, the IIUcivilian director's full report on the incident will be made available at a later date, the unit's news release said.

Man swung knife at officer before he was shot: IIU

An investigation into aJanuary shooting by police outside Siloam Missionwill also not lead to any charges against the officer, a separate news release from the IIU said.

In that case, Winnipeg police responded to a fight in a Princess Street parking lot near Siloam Missionaround 11 p.m. on Jan. 28. They found a man in his 20s, who had been stabbed, and another man in his 40s, who they saidstabbed the younger man, the IIU's release said.

A "use of force encounter ensued," the investigative unit says, during which the older man was shot by a police officer.

He was takento hospital with a two gunshot wounds one to his head and another to his hip.

The IIU's investigation, which began Jan. 31, determined the man shot by the officer was armed with a knife and was seen repeatedly stabbing the man in his 20s.

After refusing to listen to officers' directions to drop the knife, the man swung the knife at an officer and was shot, the investigative unit's news release said.

The IIU investigation included reviewing police reports, recordings, forensics, surveillance video and medical reports for the man who was shot.

Four witness officers were interviewed, but the shooting victim was unable to participate in any interviews "due to his level of competency," according to the investigative unit.

Three civilian witnesses were also interviewed, including one member of the Winnipeg FireParamedic Service.

In this case as well, the IIU found noreasonable groundsto charge the officer who fired the weapon, and saidno charges will be recommendedagainst him.

The unit has now closed its investigation, but thecivilian director's report will not be madeavailable while other charges in the incident are before the courts.