Advocacy group calls for inquiry into death of N.S. man arrested by police

HALIFAX – A mental health advocacy group is calling for a fatality inquiry into the case of a young man who died after he was jolted by a stun gun during a violent struggle with Halifax police earlier this year.

The East Coast Prison Justice Society is drawing attention to a report from Nova Scotia’s police oversight agency that says police were told the unidentified 25-year-old was having a psychotic episode when two officers arrived at his condominium on Feb. 22.

The report from the independent Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), published Oct. 3, says officers told SIRT investigators that the man became agitated when it “looked like he was trying to get a ‘bug’ out of his body.”

An officer told SIRT the man could not be reasoned with and started throwing objects, which is why the two officers decided to arrest him under the provincial Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act.

“The (officer) stated that he knew the (man) needed medical attention but they often have to wait long periods for (paramedics) to arrive,” says the report, written by SIRT director Erin Nauss. “Police called multiple times for medical assistance … but there was a delay in response.”

During the man’s ensuing struggle with police, an officer used a stun gun to subdue him, and handcuffs were placed on his wrists and ankles. The report says that as police waited for paramedics to arrive, the restrained man continued to struggle and was placed “against the bed, with his stomach on the bed and legs on the floor.”

The two officers’ accounts of what happened next differ, but the report says the man started vomiting and had trouble breathing. And at some point, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died at the scene.

It was the fourth time in three days that police had been dispatched to the man’s home, and the report says that on each visit, officers were told by the man’s mother that he was experiencing a mental health crisis.

On Feb. 20, officers were told he was suffering from psychosis and was “disconnected from reality,” but no intervention was needed because the man had left his apartment for a safe location.

A day later, the man’s mother called 911 to ask for a wellness check, saying her son was hearing voices and talking about suicide. Officers later determined the man should not be arrested after he agreed to seek help from a mental health crisis team. 

On the morning of Feb. 22, the woman told police her son was having a “mental break” and was threatening to harm himself. Officers took him to a hospital, where internal records show he was diagnosed with “situational crisis psychosis.” He saw a doctor, who determined he should be seen by psychiatric staff. 

He then waited at the hospital for another seven hours before he left on his own, the SIRT report says.

Later that night, his mother called to alert police about her son’s deteriorating mental health. The violent confrontation that followed led to his death.

In her report, Nauss says she could find no reasonable grounds to believe either officer had committed a criminal offence. But her report makes it clear that questions about health care and emergency services are outside the scope of SIRT’s mandate.

The director, however, said she had “drawn concerns” to the attention of the provincial justice and health ministers, as well as the Office of Addictions and Mental Health.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not answer directly when asked via email whether an inquiry was being considered by the department or the province’s chief medical examiner. “Our heart goes out to the family of this young man,” Lynette Macleod wrote in a brief statement. 

“The SIRT investigation offers a number of important insights. Complex mental health calls can require a multi-disciplinary approach, and this event underscores the importance of continued collaboration across government.”  

Meanwhile, the East Coast Prison Justice Society is alleging the province’s policing and health-care systems repeatedly failed the man and his family. The group released a statement Wednesday alleging those failures included repeated police contact without appropriate mental health support; limited response from the province’s mental health crisis team; limited hospital-based care; and lack of a co-ordinated crisis response. 

The group says these allegations point to serious systemic issues with mental health services and policing in Nova Scotia. 

“A comprehensive and transparent fatality inquiry is necessary to examine these failures, ensure accountability and recommend meaningful changes to prevent future deaths,” the group’s statement says. 

“Such an inquiry is not only in the public interest, but is also critical to improving public safety”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2025.