No charges for home-invasion stabbing death in latest test of self-defence law

One witness said he heard an “inhuman” yelp from inside the house. When police arrived, they discovered the disturbing sound’s likely source.

A 26-year-old man had been stabbed to death, the victim of what the medical examiner later deemed to be a homicide.

But police announced Monday that no charges are being considered in the incident three days ago in Halifax, saying the dead man was one of two attempting to invade the blue clapboard house.

It’s the latest in a string of similar confrontations across the country that has tested Canada’s self-defence laws, and the limits of a homeowner’s right to defend their place of residence.

Charges have often been filed in previous cases, sometimes prompting outcry from gun-rights activists and residents who argued they were just trying to protect their lives or property. Police, on the other hand, have prosecuted when they believed the defender used excessive force.