The province’s independent Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) released its report today regarding the arrest of a male in relation to a domestic assault and uttering threats.
In the early morning hours of February 22, 2020, RCMP attended a residence in Shelburne looking for an adult male who had uttered threats against people known to him, as well as threats of self-harm. The male was not at his residence; however, police were able to speak to him by phone and determine his location.
A police service dog was requested to attend the scene and help locate the male. The male was located a short time later behind a building on a nearby property. The male initially resisted arrest and was bitten by the dog. EHS was dispatched once he was in custody and because it was determined that he likely suffered a pulled muscle when he tried to pull his arm away from the dog’s mouth, he was not taken to hospital. Two weeks later, an X-ray revealed the male had a fractured bone in his left arm.
The investigation showed the officers were justified in using the police service dog to locate the suspect and to protect the safety of the officers during the search. As a result, there are no grounds for charges against any police officer.
The full report is available at http://sirt.novascotia.ca
SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia. Investigations are under the direction and control of independent civilian director Felix Cacchione, who is solely responsible for decisions respecting the laying of any charge.
Source: Release