Officers Cleared In Fatal Kingston Peninsula Shooting

Two RCMP officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing after a fatal shooting on the Kingston Peninsula.

A report into the shooting by Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) was released Thursday by the Department of Justice and Public Safety.

“An assessment of the force used in the circumstances, viewed objectively, clearly establishes that the force used was justified and not excessive,” said the report’s conclusion.

“Therefore, no charges are warranted against either officer.”

According to the report, a woman reported being assaulted by her former partner in the early morning hours of Dec. 31, 2021.

The man, according to the report, had become upset after he was awakened when one of the children got up to use the washroom.

“The [suspect] assaulted [the woman] by choking her and pushing her head into a door with enough force as to cause visible damage to the door. The [suspect] also threatened to burn down the house if [the woman] left the residence or called the police,” said the report.

The woman went to the Hampton RCMP detachment and two officers accompanied her back to the house.

When officers arrived at the home, they were confronted by a man armed with a utility knife, according to the report.

“Upon seeing this [officer 1] withdrew their firearm from its holster and [officer 2] withdrew their Conducted Energy Weapon (taser),” said the report.

“The [officers] told the [suspect] to drop the knife several times but the [suspect] refused to do so.”

When the man began advancing toward the officers, one of them fired their taser. The suspect “fell to the ground in the closet, rolled around and then stood up with the utility knife still in his hand.”

The officer deployed their taser two more times but, according to investigators, it did not function.

SiRT said the suspect moved toward the first officer, who fired their pistol once and struck them in the shoulder, causing them to move backwards.

“The [suspect] then lunged at [officer 1] and struck them in the face with the utility knife,” said the report.

Investigators said the first officer fell to the floor and the suspect advanced toward the second officer. The officer fired a single shot, which struck the man in the abdomen.

The man was transported to the hospital but died before he even arrived, according to the report.

RCMP said the officer who was injured during the incident was treated in the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and later released.

The [suspect’s] refusal, despite numerous requests, to drop the knife he was holding, his movement toward the [officers] with the knife even after being tasered and his striking [officer 1] in the face with the knife was clear evidence that the [suspect] intended to cause death or grievous bodily harm to the [officers],” said the report.

“The [officers] therefore had reasonable grounds to believe that the use of force was necessary for their self-preservation.”

You can view SiRT’s full report by clicking here.