The province’s police watchdog is investigating after a woman was hit by a police vehicle in a small city park and died.
The Winnipeg Police Service said at a news conference Tuesday that two officers were returning a woman to a homeless encampment in Fort Rouge Park when the collision happened at about 9:27 p.m.
Officers gave the woman, who was in her 30s, emergency medical care. She was transported to Health Sciences Centre in critical condition and died from her injuries.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Police Service acting chief Art Stannard discusses the fatal incident at a news conference on Tuesday.
Investigators with the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba were notified and immediately sent to the scene.
Fort Rouge Park is located at 295 River Ave., along the south bank of the Assiniboine River. The park, created in 1893, features gravel pathways.
“I can tell you they’re devastated,” acting WPS chief Art Stannard said of the two officers.
“It’s tragic. It’s tragic.”
Stannard said the police service feels terrible for the woman’s family.
“They are looking for answers. They want to know what happened,” he said at the news conference.
Stannard could not say whether the woman was living at or visiting the encampment, or whether she was there for another reason. He also could not say whether the woman was on the ground or standing when she was hit.
Stannard said there is no specific policy on officers driving off-road to go to homeless camps.
“They made a decision to drive somebody home,” he said of the officers and the woman they were returning to the camp.
“They felt that they needed to drive them down that pathway.”
The IIU is asking witnesses or anyone with information or video related to the incident to call 1-844-667-6060.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca