HALIFAX – A 40-year old man arrested for assaulting a police officer during a protest on Tuesday won’t face charges, police say.
In a news release, sent out Thursday, Halifax Regional Police said an investigator had looked into the incident and determined there was no cause for charge.
“After reviewing the totality of the incident, it has been determined that there’s insufficient evidence to support the laying of a charge of assaulting a police officer,” read the release.
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The man wasn’t identified by police, but NSGEU has previously identified him as 1st Vice President, Jason MacLean.
In the release police apologized to MacLean and said they had reached out to him personally to apologize but he directed them to his lawyer.
The arrest happened during a protest early Tuesday morning. Protesters were blocking Premier Stephen McNeil’s car from leaving Province House and in the melee police said an officer thought he saw MacLean assaulting another officer.
“A number of officers and protesters were on the street in close proximity to each other when one of the officers observed what he thought was an assault on another officer,” read the release. “The officer arrested the 40-year-old Enfield man and he was transported to booking where he was released on a promise to appear in court to face a charge of assaulting a police officer.”
Unions have led protests all week outside Province House as MLAs debate the government’s controversial health authority bill.
Global News reached out to NSGEU for a comment, none was provided at time of publication.
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