Halifax police chief expects charges to be laid in high-profile attack on couple

The new chief for the Halifax Regional Police expects charges to be laid in connection to a high-profile attack on a same-sex couple in the city’s downtown core earlier this summer.

In an interview with CTV News Atlantic’s Todd Battis, Don MacLean said the investigation into an assault on two women in late June is ongoing, but he anticipates it will wrap up soon.

“There was a lot of information that needed to be gathered and not everything is like it’s portrayed on social media,” he said.

One of the women told CTV News Atlantic a group of men made homophobic comments and taunted her girlfriend before the incident escalated. The woman said the men punched and kicked her girlfriend after they pushed her onto cement stairs.

MacLean said another high-profile crime – the shooting at an Africville reunion that injured five people in late July – also remains under investigation.

“It was both a tragic and traumatic event,” he said. “It was something that struck at the core of me personally. It doesn’t reflect on the people of Africville.”

MacLean, who has been with Halifax Regional Police for 30 years, was appointed as the new chief on Aug. 6 after serving as the acting chief. He said community relationships and police visibility are major concerns for him as he fully steps into the role.

“In the last little while we’ve tried to put a focus on visibility,” he said. “It will continue to be a priority of mine because I think presence is important. Presence is required in lots of places. This is a very fast growing community and there are challenges and pressures that come with that.

“Relationship building is very important to me. Community collaborations are very important.”

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