SIRT investigating after man shot by Halifax police officer

Nova Scotia's police watchdog is investigating after a man was shot by a Halifax Regional Police officer on Tuesday evening.

In a news release Wednesday, the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) said Halifax Regional Police officers were investigating a report of a stolen vehicle, which they located at Waterloo and Fraser streets in south-end Halifax around 8:20 p.m. AT.

"As the police closed in on the truck, the driver put it in reverse and hit the police car," the statement said. "When the driver began to flee, another officer discharged his service weapon in an attempt to stop the vehicle and arrest the suspect."

In an interview with CBC News late Wednesday, the director of SIRT, former judge Felix A. Cacchione, provided more details. 

Cacchione said the stolen vehicle was a pickup truck. 

"I think it was a rather large pickup truck... Either a three-quarter-tonne or one-tonne truck," he said. 

Cacchione also said he understands the shot was fired by an officer responding in a different police vehicle.  

"The affected party was shot, I believe, in the arm and was taken to hospital. He was released from hospital, so his injuries were obviously not life-threatening and not serious to the point where he had to be hospitalized," Cacchione said. 

Cacchione said the stolen pickup hit a tree after the driver was shot. 

'I heard a loud bang,' says resident

Andrew Murray was in his friend's home at the time of the incident.

"I heard a loud bang. I thought it was like someone dropped something in my house [because] I had headphones in," Murray said.

Julian Cooper was also in the home.

"We heard sirens right afterward and were making, like, jokes, saying 'It could have been like a gunshot.' And it actually was," Cooper said.

Investigation timeline 

Cacchione said on Wednesday his investigator was still waiting to interview the driver of the stolen vehicle. 

Cacchione said investigations can take many months to complete, especially if the investigator needs to call in additional resources, such as laboratory testing. 

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