Nova Scotia’s police oversight agency is looking into a shooting incident involving RCMP officers that led to the death of an individual from the Sipekne’katik First Nation on Tuesday morning. The Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has confirmed that their investigation is linked to an emergency alert issued earlier that morning regarding a man armed with a firearm driving on a rural highway in Hants County.
Authorities stated that the Sipekne’katik RCMP received a report at 8:35 a.m. on Tuesday concerning a disturbance at a residence within the Sipekne’katik First Nation community. The report indicated that a man was allegedly armed with a firearm and had made threats before departing in a Honda Civic. Subsequently, an emergency alert was issued to residents in Hants and Colchester counties around 9 a.m. local time warning about a man with a firearm driving on a rural highway in Hants County. The public was advised to seek shelter, remain indoors, and secure their residences during this time.
Local schools were placed on hold and secure status as a precaution, according to law enforcement. SIRT disclosed that officers managed to stop the man by deflating the vehicle’s tires using a spike belt, causing it to veer off Highway 236 near the junction with Highway 202. The team stated that officers first attempted non-lethal methods before resorting to firing multiple shots, resulting in the individual being pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts by officers and paramedics.
Initially, the RCMP had reported that the man had been apprehended, but later updates revealed the tragic outcome of the incident.