Winnipeg police justified in shooting woman with beanbags, pepper balls, Taser: watchdog

Manitoba's police watchdog says officers were justified in usinga series ofless-lethal weapons ona knife-wielding woman who stabbed someone on a Winnipeg Transit bus before barricading herself in a Main Street restaurant earlier this year.

The actions of the officers represented"a textbook example" in dealing with an armed individual without causing significant physical harm or death, states a report from theIndependent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, released on Friday.

Police were called just after 6 p.m. onMarch 22 to Main Street and Euclid Avenue with a report a woman on a bushad stabbed another passenger, who was in a wheelchair. The woman then ran into a nearby pizza restaurant and locked then door.

When officers arrived, the woman was seen inside the restaurant,rockingside to side inwhat police described as "a mental trance," saying she had"athousand mile stare,"according to the IIU report.

Officersrepeatedly told the woman to drop the knife, asking her to talk to them,but there was no responseother than one time when she said, "No, you're not the police," the report states.

Worried for staff inside the restaurant, some officers went to the rearof the building, where employees let them into the kitchen area.

About ahalf hour later, after repeatedly trying to engage the woman in conversation, a decision was made to shoot pepper balls plastic projectiles that burst open and releasea scentedpowder.

After multiple rounds still had no effect, police used a shotgun that fires beanbag-typerounds. After being struck with at least 34 pepper balls and six beanbag rounds, the woman continued to hold the knife, the report says.

She then moved to frontdoor and appeared to unlock it, prompting an officer to leanon the door to prevent her from pushing it open and escaping while she was still armed, according to the IIU report.

Taser in the leg

One of the officers inside the restaurant then moved closer to the woman, whose back was turned to him, and fired a Taser at her leg, which causedher to fall. Officersmoved in,took the knife from the woman and handcuffed her, the report says.

The IIU was notifiedbecause the womansustained bruising and lacerations to a hand and arm, which constitutes a serious enough injury to be investigated.

She was sent tothe Health Sciences Centre where she was treated for herinjuries and taken back into police custody.

In the meantime, the woman on the bus who was attacked and stabbed in the handtold officers she was in pain but OK.

IIU investigators examined officers' notes and reports,911 calls,radio transmissions and various surveillance video footage (from the bus, the restaurant and neighbouring businesses) from the incident.

They also attempted tointerview the woman but shedeclined, saying"I don't want nothing to do with that," according to the report, which was delayed in being released to the public until the woman's charges had been dealt with by the courts.

In its findings, the investigative unitsaid the officers' use of force was necessary andreasonable, and did not recommend any charges against the officers involved.