Listen to this article
Approximately 3 minutes
The audio version of this article was created using artificial intelligence technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We work with our partners to continually analyze and improve results.
Nova Scotia RCMP are investigating a shooting early Thursday morning on the South Shore near the community of Chelsea.
RCMP said at approximately 9 a.m. they responded to a report of a man with a gun on Highway 210 near Chelsea, about 20 kilometers west of Bridgewater.
RCMP referred the case to the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) after an officer fired his gun and injured the man they were searching for. In a news release, the RCMP said officers provided first aid at the scene.
The incident began Wednesday evening when police declared an emergency around 6 p.m., asking residents of Queens and Lunenburg counties to stay off Highway 210 in the Chelsea area, shelter in place and not pick up hitchhikers.
The report said there was a suspicious person there, possibly with a weapon. They described the suspect as a man in his 30s, about six feet tall, with dark hair and a beard. He was wearing a brown bandana and pants, a gray shirt and a black bag.
The alert was canceled late Wednesday. Asked why the alert was canceled while the man was still at large, an RCMP spokesperson said Thursday that alerts can be canceled or updated at any time “as more information is received or the situation changes.”
“I saw a rifle,” says witness
Brian Meyer was driving home from work Thursday morning when he spotted the suspect on Highway 210 near Chelsea.
“I could tell it was him because I saw the rifle,” Meyer told CBC News. “He looked me in the eyes and then I put my head down and walked away so I could turn the corner and call 911.”
Meyer said he did not expect a confrontation with the suspect because the alarm had been canceled and police said there was no danger to the public in the area. He said he went to work that night, leaving his family at home, thinking the threat had passed.
“I just don’t understand why they called it off if they didn’t have any evidence that he left the area and they didn’t catch him. They didn’t say they caught him or didn’t catch him, so they’re just not accurate with their information,” he said.
MORE TOP NEWS