No charges after Manitoba Mountie allows dog to bite man without warning

The RCMP logo is seen in Surrey, B.C., on Friday April 13, 2018. Manitoba RCMP have issued an arrest warrant for an Ontario truck driver who was allegedly involved in an accident that resulted in the death a woman and her daughter. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s police oversight agency says no charges will be laid after an officer gave no warning before allowing a police dog to bite a man experiencing a mental health crisis.

However, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba says in its report that the Dauphin RCMP officer’s actions on June 3, 2025, were concerning and that it referred the case to Crown prosecutors to consider charges.

The report says officers found the suicidal man in a wooded area but didn’t identify themselves or call out before the dog was sent forward.

It says the dog left the man with a deep, significant cut to his leg that required stitches.

The officer in charge of the dog, in writing up the incident, said that he was worried about an ambush and felt officers were in jeopardy.

The investigation unit says while an independent expert found the actions weren’t justified by the evidence, prosecutors said the standard for pressing charges had not been met.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2026.

The Canadian Press