Paramedic charged with drug theft in Halifax fired
Zachary Dewar is also a 2nd-year med student at Dalhousie University
CBC News
Posted: Feb 15, 2013 12:22 PM ET
Last Updated: Feb 16, 2013 10:32 AM ET
A Halifax paramedic was arrested Thursday and charged with stealing drugs from the Emergency Health Services.
Zachary Dewar, 25, was arrested after a three-week investigation by Halifax police. He also faces breach of trust and mischief charges.
Since then EHS has fired him and the province has suspended his paramedic's licence.
EHS contacted police on Jan. 24 after noticing a discrepancy in their internal system for managing controlled narcotics.
"The investigation led to a traffic stop and subsequent arrest of an off-duty paramedic at 3:15 p.m. [Thursday] outside an EHS base on Wilkinson Avenue in Dartmouth, during which officers seized narcotics," Const. Pierre Bourdages said Friday.
Police allege the man tampered with vials of controlled narcotics in the possession of EHS in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
Ambulances carry controlled substances including morphine and Valium.
"Frankly we're disappointed with the outcome here. But this is an isolated incident within our operation," said Jeff Fraser, director of operations for EHS
After Dewar's arrest, police searched a residence on Lawrence Street in central Halifax.
Dewar is also a second year med student at Dalhousie University. A spokesperson for the university said Dewar remains a student but he doesn't have unsupervised access to drugs.
Dewar was released early Friday and is due back in court April 23.
Share Tools
Top News Headlines
- Obesity now recognized as a disease
- The American Medical Association has voted to recognize obesity as a disease, while doctors in Canada say they also treat it as such. more »
- B.C. First Nation sets fires to save bison
- A First Nation band is reviving the age-old practice of controlled burning in order to improve the health of forests and restore the population of the wood bison in a corner of northeastern B.C. more »
- 1 in 8 bird species threatened with extinction
- One in eight bird species worldwide faces the threat of extinction, according to a report released by Birdlife International. more »
- Canada buys rare War of 1812 collection for $573K
- The government of Canada was the winning bidder for a large collection of letters, maps and other papers that once belonged to Sir John Sherbrooke, the lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia who conquered Maine for the British during the War of 1812. The collection sold for $573,000 at auction in London. more »
Must Watch
Latest Health News Headlines
- Obesity now recognized as a disease
- The American Medical Association has voted to recognize obesity as a disease, while doctors in Canada say they also treat it as such. more »
- Are e-cigarettes safe to puff?
- As electronic or e-cigarettes grow in popularity, some health advocates want them to be regulated. more »
- Fredericton teen attends prom despite serious allergies
- A Fredericton high school student went to her prom on Tuesday night, despite the threat that one waft of perfume could have serious consequences. more »
- Starbucks rolls out calorie info on U.S. store menus
- Starbucks will start posting calorie counts on its menu boards in American stores next week, before federal legislation changes to require the coffee chain to do so. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is mulling over regulation that would force franchises with more than 20 locations to post nutritional information. more »
FEATURED HEALTH
- Sopranos star James Gandolfini dies in Italy
- Wearing a mask at a riot is now a crime
- Dozens of children seized from Manitoba Mennonite community
- B.C. teacher duct-taped students' mouths
- B.C. First Nation sets fires to save bison
- Obesity now recognized as a disease
- Richmond widow racks up $1,800 hospital parking bill
- Bob Rae quits as MP in 'very emotional' decision
- Hail, flash floods hit southeast Alberta
