SIRT clears New Glasgow police officer in shooting incident

The Serious Incident Response Team, Nova Scotia's police watchdog, has cleared a New Glasgow police officer of any wrongdoing in a shooting incident from August.

A man was shot three times in the incident and taken to hospital.

A woman called 911 on the evening of Aug. 3 to say her 25-year-old son had been drinking and had left her home after damaging property.

According to the SIRT report,the woman described her son as being "out of control" and "very, very, violent." The woman said he was also "a threat to anybody out there," according to the report.

Three police officers were sent to search for the man. One officer found him walking along a New Glasgow street with a bottle of alcohol in his pocket.

SIRT said the man had stolen two bottles of rum from a liquor store earlier that evening.

The officer called for the man to stop. He didn't.

A second officer pulled up in his vehicle and also called for the man to stop. Instead, according to SIRT, the man pulled a knife from his jacket and started advancing towardthe second officer, who used his stun gun.

When the stun gun had no effect, the officerpulled his gun and fired.

In its report, SIRT concluded the officer who fired was right to fear for his safety and his decision to shoot was justified.

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