No charges against Halifax officer after man injured during arrest

Nova Scotia’s police watchdog says it will not lay charges against a Halifax Regional Police officer after a man was injured during an arrest in Dartmouth last year.

The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) was called in to investigate the case from Dec. 11.

SiRT says officers were called to Wyse Road in Dartmouth after a man was seen there who was wanted on offences including flight from police and theft. Police also believed the man “may have been involved in a stabbing” according to SiRT.

The watchdog says the suspect ran from police and squared up to fight the officer who managed to catch up with him.

“The officer brought the male to the ground and a struggle took place as he continued to resist arrest,” reads the release from SiRT. “The officer delivered strikes to the male’s face to gain control. Other officers then arrived to assist in the arrest and take the male into custody.”

Throughout the interaction the suspect said “take the cuffs off, it will be a different story.” The accused told SiRT he was complying with police.

The suspect was later diagnosed with a broken collarbone at the hospital.

In an interview, the subject officer, the main person in the interaction with the suspect, said that he has fought the accused before because of his history of running from police.

“The (officer) stated his risk assessment was very high, as he knows the (suspect) has no fear of police, had fought with him before, and he thinks he does not care what happens to members of the public or anyone else,” the SiRT report reads. “He stated he was not aware if the (suspect) was in possession of a knife, but that the (suspect) is not afraid to attempt to kill someone.”

Police wanted to track down the suspect because days later up to his arrest the accused was wanted for multiple offences including stealing a vehicle.

SiRT says it found no reasonable grounds that the officer acted with excessive force.