SIRT Concludes Investigation into Police Shooting

The Director of the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Halifax Regional Police Officer committed a criminal offence in connection with shots fired at a male that resulted in a serious injury.

On August 24, 2023, the Halifax Regional Police responded to a call of attempted murder. Police located the male suspect, who pointed a firearm at an officer. The officer feared for his safety and discharged his firearm, striking the male in the thigh. Police provided first aid on scene. The male was taken to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

The Director found that the officer was lawfully engaged in his duties and acted to deter a real threat that the male was about to fire a sawed-off shotgun. The shots fired by the officer were found to constitute reasonable force in the circumstances.

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.

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