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No Charges Against RCMP Officers Relating to Fatal Shooting of Colchester Man
The province's independent Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) released a report today regarding the investigation into the fatal shooting of a Colchester area man.
In the early morning hours of May 26, 2018, Halifax District RCMP responded to a complaint of a 24-year-old male brandishing a firearm and threatening to kill another male in a home in Westphal, Nova Scotia. The male suspect fled the home with the firearm and entered a wooded area nearby.
A K-9 unit was dispatched and tracked the male suspect traveling in a northly direction between a populated and wooded area. The suspect emerged from a wooded area with the firearm and was observed by an officer walking between the Titans Gymnastics building and the Mariner Auction and Liquidation Centre building on Broom Road. The officer commanded the suspect to stop and drop his weapon, but he did not comply. Two other officers, who were nearby and heard the command, joined the first officer. The three officers continued to yell at the suspect, commanding him to stop and drop his weapon. These commands were also ignored. The male turned his head, and looking at the officers, placed his gun level to his waist and pointed it in the direction of the officers. Fearing for their personal safety and the safety of those around them, the officers fired a combined total of four shots at the suspect. Three bullets struck the suspect; two in the abdomen and one in the leg. He died from his injuries shortly after first aid was begun.
The investigation found it was reasonable for the officers to conclude their lives were in danger and the use of their firearms to shoot the suspect was justified in the circumstances. Therefore, no charges are warranted against any of the officers involved.
A complete copy of the report is available at http://sirt.novascotia.ca.
SIRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia. Investigations are under the direction and control of independent civilian director Felix Cacchione, who is solely responsible for decisions respecting the laying of any charge.
Media Contact:
Felix Cacchione
Director
902-424-8400 (o)
902-718-9707 (c)
