No charges against police officers after April disturbance

Release:

An investigation by the province’s Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) has concluded there are no grounds for charges against two Halifax Regional Police (HRP) officers who responded to a complaint of a disturbance at a Halifax apartment building on April 7, 2020.

Early that morning, a female ran to her neighbour’s door screaming for them to call police because her husband had a knife and was threatening to self-harm. When the responding officer arrived, he observed a female on the balcony asking for help for her husband who was suffering from a self-inflicted stab wound.

Additional officers arrived and made their way up to the second floor and entered the apartment. Both the male and female were on the balcony. When the male saw the officers making their way toward the balcony, he turned and jumped over the railing, falling to the ground below.  Officers ran from the apartment to the location where the male landed and rendered aid, but the male died at the scene.

The investigation revealed that neither officer had any physical contact with the male prior to jumping off the balcony. Their only physical contact with him was in providing aid until the paramedics arrived.  The autopsy report showed the cause of death was from a sharp force injury of the chest. The death was ruled a suicide. In these circumstances, there are no grounds to consider any charges against the responding officer.

A complete copy of the report is available at http://sirt.novascotia.ca

Serious Incident Response Team is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia, whether or not there is an allegation of wrongdoing. Investigations are under the direction and control of the independent civilian interim director Felix Cacchione, who is solely responsible for decisions respecting the laying of any charge.