Halifax police cleared in death of man killed by own gun during chase

HALIFAX – Halifax Regional Police have been cleared of wrongdoing in the death of a man who accidentally shot himself in the head during a foot chase with officers.

The death was reviewed by Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Team, which investigates incidents involving police in the province.

The team’s report says the three officers had reasonable grounds to attempt to detain the 25-year-old man in the early morning hours of Feb. 9 after responding to a report of a gunshot fired in the city’s downtown core.

The report says the man was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and took off when he and two others were approached by the officers.

While running away, the report says the man reached into his waistband to grab his .45-calibre revolver, which discharged a shot into his right ear.

The man was pronounced dead in hospital and the medical examiner later determined the fatal shot to be accidental.

The report says a video of the incident shows the officers did not make contact with the man before he was shot and fell to the ground.