Manitoba judge says fatal police shooting of machete-wielding man was justified

WINNIPEG — A Manitoba provincial court judge has ruled that the fatal police shooting of a man wielding a machete in public was a justified use of force.

In an inquest report, Judge Sandra Chapman says Eric Daniels ignored police warnings to drop his weapon and charged directly at one officer before being shot.

Daniels died at the age of 28 on March 6, 2010.

The inquest was told Daniels was intoxicated and had earlier used his machete to rob a liquor store and threaten a passenger on a transit bus.

Later, Daniels confronted a family on a residential street and police were called.

'An awesome, good feeling': National Volunteer Week underway in Medicine Hat

13h ago

Medicine Hat's spring Spectrum Festival returns for 2024

13h ago

'Lucky to do something I enjoyed so much': Celebrated Medicine Hat artist revisits his art

19h ago

The inquest report says two officers in uniform gave repeated warnings to Daniels to drop the machete, but he charged at one and was shot three times.

“Despite those commands, Mr. Daniels did not drop the machete and in fact quickly advanced towards the police officers, ignoring their command, with the machete raised above his head,” the report released Tuesday says.

“Mr. Daniels’s very unfortunate demise was caused wholly as a result of Mr. Daniels’s actions. The officers had no option but to fire their weapons as they did.”

The inquest heard from a toxicologist who testified Daniels had a high level of alcohol in his system. There was also surveillance footage of the liquor store robbery and of the confrontation on the transit bus.

Inquests in Manitoba are mandatory when someone dies from the use of force by police.

The Canadian Press