IIU exonerates police after Tasered suspect became unresponsive

The agency that oversees police conduct in Manitoba says Winnipeg police used reasonable force in a July incident that left a suspect unresponsive and in need of medical attention.

Police went to a home on Ross Avenue on July 13 after a female homeowner called to report someone had broken in, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said in a news release.

A news release issued by the investigative unit in July said the man smashed planters outside, then forced his way into the home.

Officers broke into the home through the front door,found a man ina closet and attempted to arrest him, the IIU said. The suspect resisted arrest, the IIU said,and police responded by Tasering him.

• Independent review underway after Winnipeg police Taser break-in suspect

After a shock was delivered, the man became unresponsive, the IIU said, and was taken to hospital by ambulance. There he was diagnosed with a laceration to his liver, an injury that can be caused by blunt force trauma.

The suspect had to be hospitalized for eight days, the IIU said.

IIU investigators interviewed the suspect and said he was unable to remember suffering any injuries to his torso before or during his altercation with officers.

"It is a possibility this injury occurred earlier that morning through an altercation with another individual, prior to and unrelated to any contact with police at the residence. The medical opinion does not assist in resolving this issue," IIU civilian directorZane Tessler saidin a news release.

The man faces one count of breaking and entering with intent to commit an indictable offence and one count of resisting a peace officer, said the IIU.

The IIU concluded there were no grounds for charges against any of the officers involved.