Investigation
Amherst Shelter Disturbance and Taser Deployment
Date Published: 2024-06-27
Province: Nova Scotia
Police Agency: Amherst Police Department
Summary
On January 21, 2024, the SiRT received a referral from the Amherst Police Department regarding an incident that occurred that day. The Amherst Police Department were dispatched to a shelter for those experiencing homelessness where the Affected Party (the “AP ”) was being aggressive and needed to be removed. The Subject Officer (the “SO ”) was the first on scene to deal with the AP. A struggle ensued between the AP and the SO and the SO discharged his Conducted Energy Weapon (the “CEW”) , which is commonly referred to as a t aser. As a result, the AP fell onto a bench. The AP was taken to hospital, and it was determined that he had two broken ribs. As a result of the serious injury the SiRT commenced its investigation on January 21, 2024. The investigation concluded on June 4, 2024. The decision summarized in this report is based on evidence collected and analyzed during the investigation, including, but not limited to,…