No charges against Halifax police officers after woman alleges she was assaulted: SIRT

The SiRT logo is seen in an undated file photo.

Nova Scotia’s police watchdog has ruled charges should not be laid against Halifax Regional Police officers after a woman alleged she was assaulted.

The Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) says officers responded to a domestic dispute at an apartment in Dartmouth, N.S., on Aug. 27, 2021.

When two male officers entered the apartment, SIRT says they could hear a woman from behind a closed bedroom door who was screaming profanities and threatening to harm her boyfriend.

“The officers entered the bedroom, separated the couple, and removed the boyfriend from the bedroom,” said SIRT in a news release.

According to SIRT, the woman was wearing only a bra at the time, and the officers noticed bruising on her left eye and neck, as well as a bloody scratch behind her left ear.

The officers were informed she had been in a physical altercation with someone other than her boyfriend earlier that day, according to SIRT’s report.

SIRT says the officers asked the woman to get dressed multiple times, but she refused to do so. While waiting for female officers to arrive, the woman called 911 and said the male officers were trying to rape her.

When the female officers arrived, SIRT says they also asked the woman to put on clothes, but she refused and struggled with them when they tried to put a dress on her.

According to SIRT, the woman was “out of control” and continued screaming and cursing at the officers. She was then arrested and removed from the building.

As she was being transported to HRP cells, SIRT says the woman calmed down, and when asked if she was hurt or required a paramedic she replied, “Oh no.”

Halifax Regional Police referred the incident to SIRT on Sept. 28, 2021. SIRT concluded its investigation on Feb. 9 and released its findings on Tuesday.

SIRT says it has determined that the woman had the existing visible bruising to her eye and neck and scratch behind her ear when first seen by police. The agency also determined the bruising visible in photos provided by the woman could not have been visible to the officers at the time of their interaction.

Lastly, SIRT says the woman did not complain about being hurt or injured, nor did she tell the female officers about any injuries when she was asked.

“Based on these findings, no charges will be laid against any of the officers,” said SIRT.

SIRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia, whether or not there is an allegation of wrongdoing.