Officer who shot and killed woman in Eastern Passage, N.S., last year won’t be charged

Police are seen on Cedar Lane in Eastern Passage, N.S., on Oct. 14, 2025. (Paul DeWitt/CTV News Atlantic)

The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) says it found no reasonable grounds to believe a member of the RCMP committed a criminal offence when she discharged a firearm while responding to a call in Eastern Passage, N.S., last year.

RCMP in the Halifax District responded to 911 calls about a disturbance on Cedar Lane on Oct. 14, 2025.

SiRT says the first two officers on the scene found a woman who appeared to be in distress and had a large knife. She allegedly did not comply with officer’s commands and “advanced towards them in a threatening manner.”

“One officer discharged his Conducted Energy Weapon (Taser) twice but was unsuccessful both times. The female continued to advance towards one of the officers who pleaded with her to drop the knife,” reads a report by SiRT director Erin Nauss. “She did not comply and the officer discharged their firearm, striking the female in the leg. They continued to advance and the officer discharged her firearm again, striking the female in the chest.”

SiRT says officers provided life-saving measures. The woman was transported by EHS to hospital and was pronounced deceased.

Nauss noted in the report that the law respecting self-defence or the defence of others is also applicable to police officers.

“Based on a review of the facts and the law, I am satisfied that the SO (subject officer) acted reasonably to stop a major threat. The circumstantial evidence supports the perception of the SO that there were reasonable grounds to believe the threat to her life and the lives of other officers and civilians was at risk.”

SiRT investigates matters involving death, serious injury, sexual assault, intimate partner violence and other cases of public interest that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

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