Winnipeg police shoot, kill suspect after officer stabbed in the throat

A Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) officer is recovering after he was stabbed in the throat Sunday evening.

The incident unfolded near a bus shack at the Unicity shopping centre.

Police said officers were in the area as part of the WPS retail theft initiative. Then, just after 5 p.m., an emergency transmission came into the police communication centre from a plain clothes unit at the mall.

They reported an officer had been stabbed in the throat and a male suspect had been shot. “This transmission is one that we never, ever want to receive,” said Acting Chief Art Stannard.

The injured officer, a senior member of the WPS, was taken to hospital. Stannard said he visited the officer and his wife in hospital Sunday evening.

“His wife was there and just extremely emotional,” recalled Stannard. “He’s doing well, and they’re treating him very well. I would say he’s stable and most likely to be released.”

Details about what led to the stabbing and the subsequent shooting are limited.

Police said they were dealing with the man by the shelter. During their interaction, police allege the suspect stabbed one of the officers in the throat with an edged weapon. The officers said they told the man to drop his weapon, and shortly after, officers fired their weapons. The suspect was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

Police said they have not yet identified the male suspect, and the investigation is still in its early stages.

Stannard said he is aware videos of the incident have been posted online, but cautioned they do not show the full interaction officers had with the suspect.

“I’m concerned that it only shows part of the interaction,” said Stannard. “There was a front part of it that doesn’t seem to be on video yet, and I don’t want the public to react to just that part of it. I want them to wait until the whole investigation is done.”

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) has been notified and has assumed responsibility for the investigation.