An individual from Annapolis Valley is charged with attempted murder and several weapons-related offenses following a shooting incident involving a woman known to him, who sustained critical injuries and was swiftly taken to the hospital. Identified as Ryan Alexander Cole, aged 36, he appeared briefly in Nova Scotia Provincial Court on Monday and his case was adjourned to August 25, while he remains in custody.
The incident unfolded on Saturday morning in South Farmington, Annapolis Valley, prompting a police response to a reported shooting. The suspect fled the scene driving a damaged Mazda sedan, heading towards Halifax. Law enforcement pursued the vehicle and attempted to stop it using a spike belt on the highway, but the suspect evaded the deflation device. Subsequently, the suspect was tracked from the air until the Mazda crashed into a tree as the man tried to navigate a hiking trail behind a shopping mall in Bedford, a Halifax suburb.
The suspect then fled on foot, prompting the RCMP to issue an alert. RCMP Corporal Mandy Edwards highlighted the public safety risk posed when dealing with a suspected armed individual. Following extensive search efforts involving police dog teams from the RCMP and Halifax Regional Police, along with emergency response teams from both forces, Cole was apprehended. Although Edwards confirmed a connection between Cole and the victim, she did not disclose the nature of their relationship.
Notably, Cole has a significant criminal history dating back to 2008, which includes several charges such as breaching conditions of previous releases, disarming a police officer, resisting an officer, and sharing intimate images without consent.