No charges to be laid against officer who arrested teen playing ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ in Brandon
Posted June 1, 2026 4:11 pm.
Manitoba’s police watchdog — the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) — says an RCMP officer will not be charged after arresting a youth who was playing ding-dong-ditch in Brandon in October.
The IIU opened an investigation after they were alerted to an incident from the Brandon Police Service that took place just after midnight on Oct. 19.
Reports indicate that BPS responded to a home after a woman reported that her daughter was brought home in handcuffs by a man. The man was later identified as an off-duty RCMP officer.
BPS then learned that five youths had been playing “Ding Dong Ditch”, when they rang the doorbell of the RCMP officer, who then got in his vehicle and was able to apprehend one of them and took her home in handcuffs.
“As this matter concerned the actions of an off-duty officer during an arrest, the IIU assumed responsibility for this investigation in accordance with Sec. 75 of the Police Services Act. IIU investigators were assigned to this investigation. The civilian director designated one subject officer, eight witness officers and one police associate witness. IIU investigators also received information from five civilian witnesses and spoke with the affected person,” said the IIU in a statement.
The IIU added that, due consideration of all the circumstances, no charges would be laid against the officer.
