Report in Hyde fatality inquiry expected Wednesday

December 3, 2010
By Greg Bennett, The Coast Guard

A report from the fatality inquiry into the death of the former Shelburne man, who died 30 hours after being tasered by Halifax Regional Police in November 2007, will be released this Wednesday.

Justice Anne Derrick will release the fatality inquiry report into the death of Howard Hyde, which will examine the circumstances under which he died, the cause of death and the manner of death. Justice Derrick may make recommendations about any matters arising from the inquiry.

The inquiry opened on Feb. 18 at Halifax Provincial Court and heard submissions mainly over the summer

Nova Scotia's chief medical examiner, Dr. Matthew Bowes, concluded in 2008 that Hyde died of “excited delirium due to paranoid schizophrenia.”

Coronary artery disease, obesity and restraint during a struggle were also contributing factors, according to the findings released on Sept. 17, 2008.

Dr. Bowes didn’t uncover evidence that the taser, used on Hyde by Halifax Regional Police, caused his death.

Hyde, who was living in Dartmouth at the time of his death, had a history of paranoid schizophrenia.

Excited delirium is a controversial disorder characterized by extreme agitation, violent and bizarre behavior, and insensitivity to pain, elevated body temperature, and superhuman strength.