Lawsuit by former Amherst police officer settled ahead of trial

A lawsuit launched by a former Amherst, N.S., police officer against the town and its police chief has been settled, but no details of the settlement are being released.

Lawsuit by former Amherst police officer settled ahead of trial Terms of agreement remain confidential after former constable sued chief, town A lawsuit launched by a former Amherst, N.S., police officer against the town and its police chief has been settled, but no details of the settlement are being released. Mark Rushton launched his lawsuit in March 2025, alleging he had been defamed. Rushton took issue with comments made the previous year by the town’s police chief, Dwayne Pike, about whether a constable was qualified for his job.

While Pike did not publicly identify Rushton in his comments, the province’s Public Prosecution Service did when it announced it was reviewing cases where Rushton had been the investigating officer. That review resulted in nine charges against seven people being dropped. Rushton resigned from the Amherst police force in June 2024, just days after being told a complaint had been laid against him under the Nova Scotia Police Act.

He said in his lawsuit that his decision to resign was not related to the complaint, but rather a desire to move closer to his family in the Annapolis Valley. His lawsuit also described the Police Act complaint against him, which accused him of "acting in a disorderly manner" and having "wilfully [made] a false or misleading statement in an official record." The issue was whether Rushton had misrepresented his qualifications based on the training he received to be a military police officer.

Rushton said the Amherst police force was well aware of his training and qualifications when it hired him. Prior to a settlement conference on July 2, this lawsuit had been heading for a five-day trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in January 2027. In preparing for the trial, Rushton’s lawyer said they planned to call three witnesses: Rushton, his wife and someone familiar with Rushton’s work history from his time in Alberta.

The defence listed six witnesses, including Pike, his deputy, two other members of the Amherst police force and two members of the military. The court record only shows that a settlement has been reached, offering no details of its terms. When contacted by CBC News, Rushton’s lawyer, Laura Neilan, said the matter had been settled to the satisfaction of both parties and that neither she nor her client would be making any comment.

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