The province’s independent Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) has cleared a Halifax Regional Police officer who shot a man during a 2020 incident in Halifax.
On Aug. 25, Halifax police were investigating a complaint of a stolen vehicle.
At approximately 8:20 p.m., police said officers located the vehicle in the south end of Halifax. As the police closed in on the truck, the driver put it in reverse and hit the police car.
“When the driver began to flee, an officer yelled at the AP (Affected Party) to stop. The AP did not stop but instead drove forward and veered to the left, toward where the officer was standing,” SiRT said in a statement.
According to the police watchdog, the officer quickly avoided being hit by the oncoming vehicle and pulled out his weapon in an effort to stop the vehicle and arrest the suspect.
The vehicle came to a stop after hitting a nearby tree. The suspect was taken into custody and determined to have suffered a gunshot wound. He was treated in hospital and released.
“The investigation found it was reasonable for the officer to conclude his life was in danger and the use of his firearm to shoot the suspect was justified in the circumstances. Therefore, no charges are warranted against the officer,” said SiRT.
SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia.
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