Man turns himself in, charged with Christmas Eve homicide in Halifax

Man charged with Christmas Eve homicide A man who was working at a Halifax bar on Christmas Eve 2022 has been charged with the death of a 31-year-old man.

A man has been charged with the homicide of 31-year-old Ryan Michael Sawyer that happened on Christmas Eve in Halifax last year.

Police say 37-year-old Alexander Pishori Levy turned himself in at the Halifax Regional Police headquarters on Wednesday and he was arrested.

On Dec. 24, 2022, Halifax Regional Police responded to a report of a disturbance involving several people in the 1700 block of Brunswick Street in downtown Halifax around 1:15 a.m.

Officers found Sawyer unresponsive on the sidewalk on Prince Street, just east of Brunswick Street.

He was then taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries where he later died. The Nova Scotia medical examiner service performed an autopsy and his death was ruled a homicide.

Police have confirmed that Levy was working security at the Halifax Ale House, at the corner of Brunswick and Prince streets, at the time they were called to the downtown area.

Levy appeared in Halifax provincial court Wednesday afternoon to face charges of manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death.

Police say they are not looking for any other suspects at this time.

"These investigations are incredibly complex and can be lengthy and certainly this incident is no exception, but I want to underline that our investigators worked tirelessly, in partnership with the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service and in consolation with the Crown, that we were able to bring these charges forward today,” said Cst. Nicholas Gagnon, a Halifax Regional Police public information officer.

According to Sawyer’s obituary, he was from of Ajax, Ontario, and studied business management at Dalhousie University.

After his death, the province put in place new rules for security staff at bars -- requiring them to take approved training, and undergo a criminal record check by July 1 of this year.

Investigators continue to ask anyone with information about the case, or with video from the area who have not come forward, to call police at 902-490-5020.

With files from The Canadian Press.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.