The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) has transferred the investigation of a recent police shooting of a University of Manitoba student to the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT). UManitoba student Afolabi Stephen Opaso was fatally shot by the Winnipeg police after they were called to an apartment suite where he was experiencing a mental health crisis. IIU requested that ASIRT handle the investigation into the shooting to avoid perceived conflict of interest. “Our hope is that justice will be served, and there will be some accountability and truth,” said lawyer Jean-René Dominique Kwilu, who represents Opaso’s parents. Friends and community members recently held a vigil at a chapel at UManitoba to pay respects to Opaso and to celebrate his life. Several vigil attendees called for improved mental health supports for students.
