Manitoba’s police watchdog has found no wrongdoing after an investigation into a Prairie Lakes man who died in a fire after a shootout with four members of the RCMP last year.

The Independent Investigation Unit released its final report on the July 2022 incident, determining that RCMP officers were not responsible for the death of the man, who died after his house caught fire.

According to the IIU’s final report, the Cornwallis Police Service requested the assistance of the RCMP on July 20, 2022, with the execution of an arrest warrant for a man who resided in RCMP jurisdiction. Two days later on July 22, four RCMP officers attended a home near Killarney in answer of that request.

The home was located in a rural and isolated area, and a long driveway separated the home from the highway. A gate on the driveway was barred and chained, requiring police to walk up to the home.

As soon as officers set foot on the property, the man, who was in his yard at the time, told police to leave using profanities. When the RCMP told the man he was under arrest, he grabbed a long gun from the front of his house and began firing at officers. Police returned fire as the man ran into his home.

While inside his home, the man continued to fire rounds from both his rifle and a shotgun. No police were hit by the bullets.

Police called for backup and made their way back to their vehicles for cover. According to the report, police continued to hear gunfire and believed the man was still firing shots at them.

Shortly after, police noticed the home was on fire but due to the risk the man presented, they did not approach the burning building. Flames quickly engulfed the home and it burned to the ground.

In the early morning hours the next day, authorities found the remains of a badly burned body in the smouldering ashes of the home.

Dental records confirmed the identity of the man, whose body was found in a door opening of the home. The report does not confirm whether the man intended to stay in his burning home or if he had tried to escape. But, according to the report, empty fuel containers as well as paper towel and flammable fabric found in the vicinity suggest the man lit his own house on fire. However, the report makes no conclusive decision on the exact cause of the fire.

The pathologist who examined the man’s body indicated that the man likely died as a result of the fire and confirmed that he had not been hit by any police bullets.

Additionally, among the ashes, police found nine long-barrelled firearms consisting of high-powered rifles and shot guns, which were heavily burned in the fire. Various ammunition was found in the remains of the house.

The report concluded that the RCMP officers’ actions were justified and they did not contribute to the man’s death or the fire.

The IIU’s file on the incident is now closed and the full report can be found online: http://bit.ly/3z6dKAs.

» gmortfield@brandonsun.com