SiRT – Kentville Officers cleared in struggle with man

SiRT – Kentville Officers cleared in struggle with man

The province’s Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) has released its report regarding the May 23, 2014 arrest of a 31-year-old male by two members of the Kentville Police Service (KPS). 

Shortly prior to 7:00 a.m. two officers responded to a 911 call the man made from his workplace in the Kentville Industrial Park. When they met the man outside the business, his comments and behaviours, together with information about the nature of his 911 call, lead them to conclude he was suffering from a significant paranoid crisis.  They tried for four and a half minutes to convince the man to go voluntarily to hospital for help. He refused. The officers decided to take the man into  custody under the provisions of the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act (IPTA).  The man resisted, and struggled with police, including placing one officer in a headlock. He was able to resist their efforts to control him, until the police used a conducted energy weapon. The man was then placed in the police vehicle and taken to hospital. On arrival, it was discovered he had a mildly displaced fracture in his leg at the top of his tibia.

The officers had reasonable grounds under the IPTA to place the man in custody and the right to use reasonable force to do so. A video of the incident confirms the force they used was not excessive, and the CEW was justified as the man was stronger than they could manage. As a result no charges are warranted against either police officer.

The full 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 Ron MacDonald, who is solely responsible for decisions respecting the laying of any charge.

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Media Contact: Ronald MacDonald, QC
               Serious Incident Response Team
   Director
               902-424-8400
               Cell: 902-718-9707
               E-mail: macdonrj@gov.ns.ca