Officer accused of breaking suspect's wrist cleared by police watchdog

A police officer accused of breaking the wrist of a male arrested inLong Plain First Nationhas been cleared by Manitoba's police watchdog.

A homeowner called Dakota Ojibway Police Service on May 19, 2016, to try to prevent her son from breaking into the home. When officers arrived, the son wastrying to crawl through a broken window and bleeding from several cuts, Manitoba'sIndependent Investigation Unitsays.

Officers arrested the suspect and brought him to the Portage la Prairie hospital. There, he complained of a sore left wrist. An X-ray and examination turned up no fracture or dislocation, the IIU says.

The next day in provincial courtthe suspect claimed the Dakota Ojibway officers broke his wrist. At that point, the IIU took over the investigation.

The police watchdog primarily looked at whether officers used excessive force during the arrest and in detention.

After interviews with the suspect and several witnesses, plus reviews of medical records, the IIU concluded that the suspect did not fracturehis wrist nor did he suffer a serious injury as defined by the agency.

In addition, police use of force during the arrest was reasonable, Zane Tessler, the civilian director of the IIU,found.