RCMP charges person following assault with a weapon in Lower Sackville

October 30, 2026 - Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
From: Nova Scotia RCMP

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RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment has charged a person following an assault with a weapon at a business in Lower Sackville.

On October 29, at approximately 1:35 p.m., police, EHS, and fire services responded to a report that a fight had broken out inside a grocery store on Cobequid Rd. and that a sensory irritant had been used, forcing the evacuation of the store.  

Upon arrival, officers identified the person responsible, who was fleeing on foot. The person was arrested for assault with a weapon, and a can of sensory irritant was seized.  

The victim, a 35-year-old man, was treated at the scene by EHS.  An employee of the store experienced a medical emergency related to the incident and was transported to hospital. The store was closed for the remainder of the day.  

John (Courtney) Arnold Coyne, 40, of Lower Sackville, is facing charges of:

• Assault with a Weapon (two counts)
• Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose
• Administer a Noxious Substance
• Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Weapon
• Possession of a Weapon Contrary to Order (two counts)
• Mischief 
• Failing to Comply with Undertaking
• Failing to Comply with Probation Order

Coyne appeared in Dartmouth Provincial Court on October 30 and was remanded into custody. They are scheduled to reappear in court on November 5.

File #: 26-169019

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