A near-complete absence of information has put the brakes on an investigation into a Manitoba Mountie’s alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to the Independent Investigation Unit (IIU), the officer told investigators he accidentally shot himself in the foot while goose hunting near Grunthal, Man., in September 2019.
However, he didn’t alert the watchdog until three months later, and only after RCMP management learned of the situation and ordered further investigation.
“For all intents, this investigation ended almost as soon as it began,” said Zane Tessler, civilian director of the IIU, in his final report, noting the investigation was “fraught with difficulties and a dearth of information from the outset.”
“If not for the diligence of senior RCMP management, who discovered the oversight of the delayed notification and took immediate steps to rectify the matter, IIU would never have known of this matter.”
The IIU says witness officers didn’t make any notes of their interaction with the subject officer, nor did they pursue an investigation.
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