Man subject of N.S. emergency alert killed in police shooting: watchdog

Nova Scotia's police watchdog, the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), is investigating the death of a man following a police shooting. The man had been the subject of an emergency alert issued Wednesday evening for residents in Lunenburg and Queens counties, advising them to lock their doors and avoid picking up hitchhikers.

Officers initially responded to a report of a man with a weapon in Chelsea, N.S., on Wednesday evening. The emergency alert was sent out around 6 p.m. However, by 9 p.m., the RCMP announced the alert was cancelled, stating that officers no longer believed there was a risk to public safety. The following morning, RCMP were dispatched to the Chelsea area again following reports of a man with a gun.

According to SIRT's preliminary investigation, RCMP officers located the adult male suspect, who was confirmed to be the subject of the earlier emergency alert. During the encounter, one officer discharged their firearm, striking the man. Despite first aid being administered at the scene, the man was pronounced deceased. SIRT has stated that this is an active investigation and will not be releasing further details at this time.