Gunfire erupts after N.S. police stop vehicle on highway

Gunfire rang out in the predawn darkness Tuesday after a Nova Scotia RCMP officer pulled over a vehicle along a major Annapolis Valley highway. “There was an interaction between the driver and the police officer, involving the discharge of a firearm,” the Mounties said in a statement that provided few other details about the incident on Highway 101 near Berwick. The driver fled into nearby woods, where he was later found injured.

A 20-year-old male passenger remained inside the vehicle and was arrested without incident just after 4 a.m.

Police did not indicate who fired the shot, but the Mounties confirmed the officer wasn’t hurt.

The officer called for backup, the highway between Exits 15 and 16 was closed and the RCMP Emergency Response Team was called in, along with a police tracking dog.

When the 26-year-old driver was later arrested, officers saw he was suffering from a non-lifethreatening injury. The suspect was taken into custody and later released from hospital, but no details were provided about the nature of his wounds. He is to appear later in Kentville provincial court.

The highway was closed for most of the day.

Nova Scotia’s police watchdog agency has been called in to investigate. Felix Cacchione, director of the Serious Incident Response Team, said an investigator was dispatched to the scene after 6 a.m. The independent agency issued a statement saying its investigators want to talk to anyone who may have witnessed the incident.

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