No charges against N.S. RCMP officers for shooting homicide suspect: police watchdog

Nova Scotia’s independent police watchdog has decided there are no grounds to charge RCMP officers who shot a homicide suspect last fall.

Officers from the Colchester District detachment responded to a homicide in Bayhead, N.S., just before midnight on Sept. 17, 2017.

While doing so, officers stopped a vehicle they thought was being driven by a suspect in the homicide investigation.

READ MORE: Man wounded in police shooting in Tatamagouche, N.S. after woman found dead in home

When the vehicle didn’t stop, police pursued it and the chase ended up at the Lockerbie Memorial Cemetery in Tatamagouche.

After a standoff that lasted several hours, gunfire was exchanged at around 7 a.m. and the suspect was wounded by RCMP officers.

The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT), which investigates all serious incidents involving police in the province, launched an investigation and in a report released on Tuesday, said they concluded there are no grounds to pursue charges against any of the officers.

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WATCH:  A 47-year-old man was wounded in a shootout with RCMP in Tatamagouche

1:28 Man wounded in police shooting after woman found dead in home

SiRT is declining to comment further on the case because the homicide is still before the courts.

“The Serious Incident Response Team regulations under the Police Act state that the director may choose to provide a supplemental summary of the investigation at the conclusion of the prosecution,” SiRT said in a news release.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The Serious Incident Response Team regulations under the Police Act state that the director may choose to provide a supplemental summary of the investigation at the conclusion of the prosecution," SiRT said in a news release.

READ MORE: ‘I am so, so sorry this was the end result’: Tatamagouche murder suspect’s wife speaks out

After the shootout with police, Ernest (Junior) Ross Duggan was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 58-year-old neighbour, Susan Butlin.

He was also charged with attempted murder in relation to that armed standoff with police.

His next court appearance in Truro Provincial Court is scheduled for June 12.