Nova Scotia’s police watchdog has cleared an RCMP officer of wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of a woman in Eastern Passage, N.S., last fall.
In her decision, the Serious Incident Response Team’s (SiRT) director, Erin Nauss, called the events “an extremely tragic situation.”
The evidence used in the investigation included 911 call recordings, police radio transmissions, statements from police and witnesses, RCMP body camera footage and an autopsy report.
RCMP were called to an assault at a home in the community about 15 kilometres southeast of downtown Halifax just before 2 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2025.
According to SiRT, a neighbour called 911 on behalf of a woman who said she had been assaulted by her granddaughter. A second call was placed reporting the suspect, or affected party (AP), “had a large knife and was threatening her grandmother and to harm herself.”
SiRT says the subject officer (SO) and another officer were first on scene.
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“They attempted to reason with the AP, but she did not respond to verbal commands to drop the knife. She advanced with the knife in a threatening manner.
The second officer discharged a taser and struck the woman twice but “this was not successful.”
“The SO pleaded with the AP to drop the knife. The SO discharged her firearm, striking the AP in the leg,” the report goes on to say.
“The AP continued to advance toward the SO with the knife, and the SO discharged her firearm a second time, striking the AP in the chest.”
Officers began lifesaving measures until EHS arrived. The woman was taken to hospital but later pronounced dead.
‘Stop a major threat’
The report included a review of the SO’s notes and body-worn camera footage.
SiRT says the officer noted that when they arrived, she “observed the AP with a large kitchen knife, approximately 8-10 inches long. The AP was tall and nude.”
The report details how the officers yelled at two civilians to go inside the home, but they didn’t comply.
“The SO noted that the AP then looked directly at her, with an absent look. The SO motioned for the AP to throw the knife over to her left side and told her to stay on the ground,” the report states, adding the officer was worried the woman would hurt the two bystanders.
“The SO wrote that she felt the AP was going to kill her. She continued to slowly back up and yell commands to drop the knife and get down on the ground. When the AP was close, the SO stated “Don’t make me do this, I don’t want to shoot you,” and continued walking backwards, yelling commands to drop the knife and get on the ground.”
The report describes the body-worn camera footage, stating, “at one point, the officers are pleading with the AP. The ineffective discharge of WO1’s Taser is documented on two occasions.”
The two witnesses, who are described as the neighbour who called 911 and the AP’s grandmother, also spoke to SiRT. According to the report, the grandmother said the woman was “in a state of mental distress.” The grandmother tried to hide the knives in the house and she eventually asked her neighbour to call 911.
“Based on a review of the facts and the law, I am satisfied that the SO acted reasonably to stop a major threat,” the report concludes.
“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.”
Nauss concludes by calling it an “extremely tragic situation,” adding “SiRT sends condolences to the AP’s family and all those involved.”
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