Armed man texted ex alluding to ‘suicide by cop’

She fielded texts from her ex that made her fear he was contemplating “suicide by cop,” according to the investigator.

The woman had left the Tophill Road home in Bedford that she had shared with her former boyfriend when he started “texting her claiming he wanted to die,” RCMP Const. Ryan Putt said in a search warrant application.

Kevin Whynot texted her that “if police show up, he will be leaving in a body bag,” Putt said.

The woman’s new boyfriend called police just after 2 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2023, looking for help.

She had been gathering her personal belongings from the home she once shared with Whynot when she noticed two soft-shell gun cases in her ex’s bedroom that appeared to be rigid “as if they are containing something,” Putt said.

GUN CASES

The woman, who had left her former home around 12:30 p.m. that day, was “familiar with the cases and had observed the firearms inside the same bags previously,” the investigator said in information to obtain a warrant filed in Halifax provincial court.

She “had gone out with Whynot to a range and fired a long ... gun that was contained in one of the cases,” Putt said, noting she believed there were firearms inside.

She “also advised that she had observed ammunition in the closet in the bedroom and in the kitchen drawer.”

The woman had “received text messages from Whynot alluding to suicide,” Putt said, noting she told police he had two long guns at the home, and stored three other firearms at his mother’s place.

His mother turned the guns stored at her place over to police.

“Whynot also has a ‘bunch’ of firearms stored at his hunting camp at an unknown location,” Putt said.

‘CALL THE COPS AGAIN’

A constable took a look at the texts Whynot was sending his ex “and observed a message at 1:19 p.m. where Whynot stated, ‘Call the cops again and before they leave, I may not have the guts to pull the trigger but they will and no one will ever speak to me again.’”

At the time, Halifax Regional Police put out a news release that they were conducting a weapons investigation on Tophill Road, asking people to stay away from the area, and that there would be a visible police presence in the neighbourhood for an extended period of time.

Police went to the home and spoke with Whynot over the phone. He came outside and police arrested Whynot around 5:10 p.m. for possession of a firearm. His possession and acquisition firearms licence had expired nine months earlier.

“Whynot advised that he knew his firearms licence was expired and he had an application in to renew it,” Putt said.

‘MADE THE COMMENTS OUT OF ANGER’

“Whynot would not confirm or deny to police that a firearm was in the residence. Whynot advised that he was not suicidal and made the comments out of anger” after his ex called police about him.

Putt convinced a justice of the peace to grant a search warrant for the Tophill Road home, noting “police plan on releasing Whynot from custody as soon as the firearms are seized from the residence.”

During their search of the home that same day, police seized a Marlin .35 caliber rifle, a Winchester .30-30 rifle, a Browning 12-gauge shotgun, and ammunition for all three firearms.

Kevin Dale Whynot, 53, is facing three charges for careless use of a firearm. The offence date on all three charges is Nov. 21, 2023.

He is scheduled to appear in Halifax provincial court April 30 for election and/or plea.