DARTMOUTH: On February 13 at approximately 6:18 p.m., Halifax District RCMP responded to a 911 call of a possible impaired driver on Hwy. 118 near Burnside Dr. The vehicle was reported to be driving erratically and swerving on the road.
RCMP located the suspect vehicle and while approaching the vehicle, the officer saw that there were two small children in the back seat. The officer administered a roadside screening device, which the driver failed.
The officer offered to allow the driver to call a family member or friend to be with the children as the suspect would be transported to the detachment for further testing.
The driver became agitated, exited the vehicle and put an unknown item into her mouth. The officer asked what it was and the suspect refused to tell him. The officer told her to spit it out, which she refused to do. The officer was concerned that swallowing the item could have severe health consequences, so he attempted to remove it from her mouth.
At that point, she bit his finger and refused to let go. In an effort to remove his finger and the item from the suspect’s mouth, the officer used physical force. The RCMP officer was able to remove his finger and the item in the suspect’s mouth. The item was determined to be a hard candy.
The officer received minor injuries as a result of the assault. The suspect had no visible or reported injuries.
The accused was taken to an RCMP detachment to provide further breath samples, which confirmed she was over the legal limit.
The driver, a 35-year-old woman from Dartmouth, is facing the following charges:
– Impaired Operation of a Conveyance
– Operating a Conveyance with a Blood Alcohol Concentration Over 80 mg%
– Assaulting a Peace Officer
– Obstruction (Resisting Arrest)
The accused was later released and is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court on April 28, 2021.
The RCMP would like to thank the concerned citizen who called in the complaint. Road safety is a shared responsibility. Please call 911 if you believe someone is driving impaired or is otherwise an immediate threat to public safety. Include as many details as possible, such as the location, direction of travel, vehicle description and license plate number.
The investigation is ongoing. Halifax District RCMP has referred the matter the Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT).
Given the matter has been referred to SiRT, the RCMP is unable to discuss further details. The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) independently investigates all serious incidents which arise from the actions of police in Nova Scotia. There does not have to be an allegation of wrongdoing.
