A Winnipeg man died after police tried to take him away due to mental health issues

WINNIPEG – A Manitoba police inspector is investigating the death of a Winnipeg man who was shot and killed while police tried to hospitalize him for mental health issues.

Police said officers went to the 59-year-old man's North End home Tuesday morning to take him to hospital for an involuntary evaluation under the province's mental health act.

At a news conference Wednesday, police said when officers arrived, the man was holding a crowbar to the door and appeared to be angry.

When they tried to approach the man, he released the fire extinguisher before entering the house. Officers made several attempts to speak with the man, but were unsuccessful.

Eventually, they entered the house and tried to talk to the man who had barricaded himself in an upstairs bedroom.

According to police, the man ran out of the room with a gun when the police fired their weapons.

Deputy Chief Art Stannard said the force was affected because no officer wants to be involved in a deadly encounter.

“Police officers take an oath to protect life and they take it very seriously. They respect life. They want to help people,” he told reporters.

“In this case, they are required by the Mental Health Act to arrest the man and undergo a medical examination.”

Law enforcement officers provided medical aid at the scene before the man was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He later died from his injuries.

Police said they obtained an arrest warrant for the man last week but were unsuccessful.

In the past three months, Manitoba's Independent Investigations Unit has launched other investigations into the deaths of three men who died during interactions with police.

Distress calls continue to be citizens' best call for police service, said Supt. Bonnie Emerson.

“The level of violence and the calls for service that the police have to respond to are increasing,” he said.

“Mental health can have a profound impact on people's well-being. Events are emotionally charged and our members have limited information when responding.”

Police were required to detain more than 1,100 people under the Mental Health Act last year.

Emerson said the force relies on a number of community partnerships, but they cannot call on civilians in dangerous situations.

A number of advocates have called for a change in who answers mental health calls, saying the presence of uniformed police could exacerbate tensions.

The city launched a pilot project in 2021 that would pair a plainclothes officer with a mental health practitioner to respond to people experiencing a mental health crisis if deemed safe enough.

Stannard said Tuesday that was not the case.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 14, 2023.

Brittany Hobson, Canadian Press