WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s police watchdog is investigating after officers wrestled a man to the ground and he was later taken to a hospital with a cracked skull.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba says Winnipeg police received a call Monday about a drunk man who had allegedly assaulted several people at the Ndinawe Youth Resource Centre.
The agency says officers detained the man and took him to the city’s Protective Care Centre, a detox centre that can hold people for up to 72 hours.
The Manitoba government is promising another $10 million to curb crime and improve safety in downtown Winnipeg. A Winnipeg Police Service shoulder badge is seen on Sept. 2, 2021 at the Public Information Office in Winnipeg. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski
It says that during the handover to staff, the man started to resist and kicked an officer’s leg, prompting police to force the man to the ground.
The agency says officers knocked the man unconscious in their efforts to regain control of him.
It says the man regained consciousness and continued to resist officers while being transported to the hospital, where doctors found the skull fracture.
The watchdog says it’s mandated to investigate because the arrest involved serious injury.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2026.