A man was injured after he was shot by an RCMP officer who was responding to a complaint of a man allegedly wielding an axe and uttering threats on Thursday morning.
In a release, the Nova Scotia RCMP said members responded to a home on Highway 6 in Upper Malagash, N.S., around 7:30 Thursday morning.
It said an armed man was threatening people known to him inside the home.
“During the response, a member discharged their firearm. The suspect was arrested and transported to hospital by EHS for non-life-threatening injuries,” the release said.
The RCMP said nobody else in the home was injured and the investigation is ongoing.
The matter has been referred to the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT), a watchdog agency which investigates all serious matters involving police.
In a news release on Thursday afternoon, SiRT director Felix Cacchione said responding officers “located the suspect at the back of the home with an axe in his hand.”
“Upon arrival, the officers located the suspect at the back of the home with an axe in his hand. One of the officers deployed their CEW (conducted energy weapon), which was ineffective,” the release read.
“The same officer then discharged their firearm, striking the male in the leg. The male has been taken to hospital for medical treatment.”
SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police, whether or not there is an allegation of wrongdoing. The Police Act requires the director to file a public report summarizing the investigation within three months after it is finished.