SiRT Concludes Investigation into Death Following Arrest

The Director of the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) found no reasonable grounds to believe that members of the RCMP committed a criminal offence in connection with death of an adult male that occurred following arrest.

On March 2, 2024, the SiRT received a referral from the RCMP, regarding an incident that occurred earlier that day. The RCMP responded to a 911 call and were dispatched to a home in Bramber, Hants County, Nova Scotia. When police arrived on scene, a male who was subject to warrants for his arrest refused to exit a vehicle or identify himself. He eventually exited the vehicle and was placed in handcuffs and brought to the ground. Soon thereafter he went into medical distress. Police officers, first responders and Emergency Health Services (EHS) provided emergency first aid. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene by EHS. An autopsy later determined the cause of the male’s death was cocaine toxicity.

The full report is available at http://sirt.novascotia.ca

The SiRT is responsible for investigating all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault and intimate partner violence or other matters of a public interest to be investigated that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Investigations are under the direction and control of an independent civilian director, who has the sole authority to determine if charges should be laid at the conclusion of an investigation.