Nova Scotia’s police watchdog has cleared a Halifax Regional Police officer of any wrongdoing in the death of a man in Bedford earlier this year.
On Feb. 28, officers responded to reports of a man who was high on cocaine and experiencing a mental health episode. While on route, officers called EHS as they were already familiar with the man and anticipated the need for medical assistance to subdue him.
The Serious Incident Response Team said when officers arrived, they found the man near West Bedford School, shoeless and only wearing shorts.
They tried speaking to him but he did not respond and instead, clenched his fists and move towards one of the officers who then used a taser, but it did not make full contact.
SiRT said the man continued to approach the officer until another officer pulled her out of the way. A third officer then attempted put the man in a neck hold from behind, but they both slipped on ice and fell to the ground.
According to a release, it took seven officers to restrain him but the man stopped breathing.
Police said officers tried to save his life and administered Naloxone treatment, but he was pronounced dead after he was taken to a hospital.
Following an investigation, SiRT’s director said they found no reasonable grounds to believe the officer committed a criminal offence in connection to the death.