Halifax Regional Police. (Acadia News)
Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) has concluded its investigation into the death of a man during a police call in Bedford earlier this year, finding no reasonable grounds to believe any Halifax Regional Police officer committed a criminal offence.
The incident happened on the night of February 28, 2025, after multiple 911 calls reported an adult male acting out of control and believed to be high on cocaine near West Bedford School.
Officers requested paramedics before arriving, anticipating the need for medical assistance.
When police located the man, he was barefoot and wearing only shorts.
Attempts to communicate failed, and when he moved toward an officer with clenched fists, a taser was deployed but did not make full contact.
The man continued to advance aggressively, and officers pulled one colleague out of harm’s way while another tried to restrain him from behind. Both slipped on ice, and the man resisted with significant strength.
It ultimately took seven officers to restrain him.
Shortly after being cuffed at the wrists and ankles, the man stopped breathing. Officers began CPR, firefighters assisted, and paramedics transported him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
SiRT says the evidence shows officers acted lawfully and there are no grounds for criminal charges. The full report is available on SiRT’s website.
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