Family longs for answers in Truro man’s death
SIRT in early stages of investigation
Bradley Clattenburg never ended up scheduling a face-toface meeting with Pastor Dariusz Miskowicz.
Nor did the parish priest of Truro’s Immaculate Conception Parish ever press the troubled 24-year-old who attended Sunday mass on a handful of occasions this past winter.
“He was trying to reach God, trying to find a spiritual side of life and he wanted to speak with me in private,” Miskowicz recalled on Thursday. “He was introverted, always pleasant.”
Miskowicz opted not to force the issue, instead letting Clattenburg decide when he was ready to talk.
The call never arrived. On Thursday Miskowicz presided over Clattenburg’s funeral at Immaculate Conception Parish.
“It’s a tragedy,” said Miskowicz, speaking after the service that drew a small gathering of family and friends.
But Miskowicz opted not to comment much beyond that.
Clattenburg’s tragic death remains shrouded in mystery. What is known is that he was shot and killed during a confrontation with Halifax District RCMP in Westphal on the morning of May 26. Before police arrived, Clattenburg was allegedly armed with a gun and threatened to shoot a man.
Now the Serious Incident Response Team, an independent civilian oversight agency, is investigating the circumstances leading to Clattenburg’s death.
Its conclusion, including a public report, isn’t expected for months.
Blair Marr, Clattenburg’s father-in-law, is still grappling with the loss of a family member he considered like his own son.
“I’m still, like, what the hell happened?” said Marr, who attended the funeral.
“I want to know what happened, what led to this? Why was he there, far away from home, with a long gun? That didn’t fit Brad’s personality. I don’t have
any information to explain this tragedy.”
Marr, an Indian Brook resident, says he and his daughter Jenna, Clattenburg’s wife, lost touch with the Truro native two years ago. He says he has only good memories of Clattenburg, who began a relationship with his daughter 10 years ago.
“He was great to my daughter, he worked hard, and took pride in being a good partner and provider.”
A photo collage of the couple captured during happier days stood on display inside the church’s reception room.
Jenna opted not to speak to The Chronicle Herald.
Marr says Clattenburg was a talented roofer and had been hired to help with the construction of the Irving Shipyard facilities. His dream was to become a navy sailor.
But things took a turn for the worse and his son-in-law’s mental health and life began to unravel. At the time of his disappearance, he’d lost his mother and had no family living in the area, said Marr. Clattenburg abandoned his wife and cut off all communication with the family.
“I honestly believe that he was hurting so bad that he wanted the police to shoot him.
“If he reached out to me, to any of us, we would have been there
for him. I think he was so embarrassed with what happened with the family.”
Clattenburg was known to Truro police and a few days after his death he was due in court for a parole violation.
“He wasn’t perfect but there are questions needing answering,” said Marr. “I’d like to see the toxicology report. Was the gun loaded when he pointed it at the police? I understand that the police have a job to do but what could a young man have done that he went into someone’s home like this and then ended up being shot dead?”
But Marr will have to wait for answers. Felix Cacchione, SIRT’S director, says the investigation is still in its early stages and a final report detailing what happened on that tragic morning and whether police acted appropriately won’t be available for months.
Cacchione say it’s a complicated case requiring analysis of, among other things, forensic and closed-circuit camera evidence, and involves several witnesses and police officers.
While he waits for answers, Marr says he’s focused on healing and helping his family move forward.
“I just want my daughter to get through this,” said Marr. “She loved that man to death. We were robbed of a good man.”