Charges Dropped Against Halifax Man After Judge Rules Police Violated Charter Rights
Drug and firearms charges against 35-year-old Derrick Coryaunt Allison were withdrawn after a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge ruled that Halifax Regional Police violated his Charter rights during a March 2021 detention, rendering all seized evidence inadmissible.
A Halifax man is no longer facing cocaine trafficking and firearms possession charges after a judge determined that police violated his Charter rights during an incident in March 2021. 
Derrick Coryaunt Allison, 35, was charged following events on March 26, 2021, when Halifax Regional Police received an anonymous 911 call reporting men arguing in an apartment building parking lot. The caller alleged that one of the men said, "don't touch that gat," slang for a gun.
Constable Kristen MacKay was the first officer to arrive at the scene. She drew her firearm and ordered four men present to show their hands. Allison complied with the orders, exited his pickup truck, and sat on the curb with his hands visible.
According to court findings, MacKay did not inform Allison of the reason for his detention, caution him, or advise him of his right to counsel before other officers arrived approximately four minutes later. One of the arriving officers searched Allison and found a hard object believed to be crack cocaine in his pocket. The same officer then searched Allison's truck and discovered a firearm in the compartment between the front seats.
Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Scott Norton ruled on Oct. 6 that continuing to detain Allison at gunpoint was unwarranted and unlawful. Justice Norton stated that Allison had no connection to the alleged assault or weapon use offenses beyond being in proximity to the situation. The judge concluded that Allison's Charter rights regarding liberty, self-incrimination, legal advice, and privacy were violated, and ruled that none of the collected evidence could be used to support the charges. 
On Oct. 21, 2026, the Crown announced it would not offer further evidence in the case. As a result, the charges against Allison were dismissed via a directed verdict.