Witnesses believe Winnipeg police used excessive force in restraining intoxicated man, who later died
CBC
WARNING: This story contains distressing details.
Witnesses say they are upset, scared and don't trust police anymore after they say officers used unnecessary force in an effort to restrain an intoxicated man over the weekend.
The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) of Manitoba — which investigates all serious matters involving police in the province — is looking into the incident after the 35-year-old died following his arrest in the early hours of Saturday morning. Multiple videos of the incident were shared with CBC News by witnesses that show the moments before and during the man's interaction with police.
Several witnesses told CBC they felt police used excessive force in restraining him, including the man who watched it all unfold in front of his ground-level suite.
"I don't understand why I have to feel guilty for calling 911 that I feel that I got this guy killed, for calling for peace officers to come and secure someone in the vicinity that is drunk," said Pete, who CBC News is only identifying by first name because he fears for his safety.
"I understand he should've gone into the drunk tank, but he did not need to die."
WATCH | Winnipeg police surround man as he lies on the ground:
Winnipeg police were contacted by a woman calling for help just after midnight Saturday, police Chief Danny Smyth said at the news conference Sunday. He said she told police her boyfriend was intoxicated and she was worried for the safety of her three children who were inside their Fairlane Avenue apartment.
"There was a lot of yelling, a lot of commotion in the background and reports of windows being smashed," Smyth said during the news conference.
Following the call, police were dispatched to the suite for a "domestic situation" at 12:09 a.m. In the meantime, the woman fled to another suite in the building, Smyth said.
Seven minutes later, the woman called police back and said her boyfriend had fallen down the stairs from their second-floor suite and was lying in the snow at the base of the stairs. Another caller said the man had wandered into the parking lot but had fallen on the ground, said Smyth.
Pete said he woke up around midnight to the man's girlfriend knocking on his window. He said after that, he went outside and saw the man coming down the stairs and that it looked like he fell down them and then the 35-year-old proceeded to knock on a neighbour's door.
He said the man banged on his window too, before he walked out to the parking lot and fell down. Pete said the man "fell down, he stayed down and he never got up again that was it." Surveillance video from before the incident shows the man yelling, before appearing to fall down in the parking lot of the apartment complex. While on the ground the man appears to call for help, says that he loves his children and yells "come on" many times.
WATCH | Surveillance video shows man lying in parking lot of apartment building before police arrive:
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