No charges after man with cognitive disability injured during interaction with Halifax police

The SiRT logo is seen in an undated file photo.

The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) says it does not believe a Halifax Regional Police officer used excessive force during an incident that left a cognitively disabled man with a broken nose.

Halifax police received a call about a naked man walking on Ochterloney Street in the downtown Dartmouth area around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 4, according to the SiRT report. They later received a call from a man who asked for the police to come to the area because he was naked.

Two officers found the man in an apartment building lobby. He asked to go to jail, but when police told him they would not take him into custody, the man allegedly became upset and swatted and spat at one of the officers.

The second officer intervened and tried to bring the man to a chair, but they both fell and the man hit his face on the floor. He was later diagnosed with a broken nose and a lost tooth due to the fall.

The SiRT report says a third officer identified the man as a 35-year-old with a cognitive disability.

“This was as unfortunate situation that sadly resulted in injuries to the AP,” the report reads. “However, after a careful review of the evidence and the law, I have determined that there are no reasonable grounds to lay a charge against the SO.”

SiRT is responsible for investigations into deaths, sexual assaults, serious injuries and intimate partner violence that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page