EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been updated to correct previously inaccurate information.
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. - The investigation into the police shooting death of a Summerside man appears to have entered its final stages.
The Journal Pioneer reported in early November 2018, that the lead Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) investigator reviewing 32-year-old Jeremy Stephens death was still waiting on one expert’s report.
As of Jan. 8, that report has been submitted.
In an emailed statement, a SIRT representative stated the lead investigator on the case is now writing their final report. The spokesperson could not, however, provide a timeline as to when it would be completed.
The only timeframe they could offer is that, once the investigator's report is completed, it will be submitted to SiRT's executive director, Felix Cacchione, who will prepare summary of the findings within three months.
Prior to the document being made public, SIRT will make it available to the office of P.E.I. Justice Minister Jordan Brown, Summerside Police Chief David Poirier’s office and P.E.I.’s Office of the Police Commissioner.
Stephens was shot by Summerside Police Service officers on May 27, 2018, as they tried to arrest him for his alleged involvement in a violent break and enter at a local hotel room the night before. Officers took him to hospital, but Stephens died a short time later.
Police said Stephens violently resisted arrest.
Because the death involved police, SIRT was called in to investigate. The probe has been ongoing ever since.
Three other men involved in the robbery that preceded the shooting have all been sentenced.
Stephens’ family has expressed frustration with the length of time the investigation is taking.
The Summerside Police Service has declined to comment while the investigation is ongoing.
