Shooting suspect in buttocks a reasonable response by police, finds IIU

Manitoba RCMP acted reasonably when an officer fired shots at a suspect, hitting him in the buttocks, the Independent Investigation Unit has found.

Concerns about an armed man on the loose in Portage la Prairie on June 27, 2017, led to a lockdown of schools in the town, a warning from police and an hours-long search.

The chase began after reports the man had allegedly stolen a vehicle and fired shots in Headingley, Man., earlier in the day.

After a pursuit and a crash, police eventually spotted the man trying tohitchhike on the Trans-Canada Highway, the Independent Investigation Unit says.

As officers approached, the man ran away into a nearby potato field and allegedly reached for his waistband, investigators say. That's when an RCMP officer fired two shots, hitting him in the buttocks.

The Independent Investigation Unit, which serves as a police watchdog in Manitoba, said the officer was justified because it was a "potentially volatile situation" and the officer believed the man could have been reaching for a gun.

The Independent Investigation Unit says the man was transported to hospital in stable condition and was discharged several days later.

No charges againsthim have been proven in court.