Manitoba’s police oversight body has announced that there will be no charges filed against an officer who fatally shot an aggressive dog that had bitten him on a southern First Nation reserve last year. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba has recommended additional training for the officer on the use of non-lethal force, as outlined in a publicly released report.
The incident occurred when a Manitoba First Nations Police Service officer was attacked by a dog while attempting to make an arrest at a residence in Swan Lake First Nation in June 2025. Upon being bitten, the officer returned to the property and shot the dog, which was chained up near family members and children inside the house.
According to the report, the officer initially requested to search the property for a missing family member before indicating he would return with a warrant. Subsequently, the officer revisited the home, citing the dog’s recent biting incidents as grounds for euthanasia, a claim corroborated by the watchdog’s investigators.
Eye-witnesses inside the house reported taking precautions upon seeing the officer with a rifle, moving children away from windows and drawing curtains. Investigation findings indicated the dog was shot approximately two feet from the home’s deck steps, aligning with the front window.
The officer, who chose not to provide an interview to the police watchdog, detailed in a written report that he had to defend himself against the dog’s aggression by kicking it in the face. After securing his injury, the officer returned to the scene and discharged his weapon in a manner he believed to be safe, considering the presence of children in the vicinity.
Although the officer’s actions were deemed reasonable by the police service’s report due to the dog’s aggressive behavior, criticism was raised for not exploring alternative, less lethal options. While the Crown found the officer’s behavior concerning, it did not warrant criminal charges under the Criminal Code or the Animal Care Act, leading to the watchdog’s decision not to recommend prosecution.
The watchdog acknowledged the dog’s aggressive nature but emphasized the importance of considering all available options, including non-lethal alternatives, in such situations.