Bouncer charged with manslaughter in Christmas Eve killing of man in downtown Halifax

A man who was working security at a Halifax bar on Christmas Eve has been charged with the killing of an Ontario man.

Halifax police say Alexander Pishori Levy, 37, has been charged with manslaughter and with criminal negligence causing the death of 31-year-old Ryan Michael Sawyer.

Sawyer, of Ajax, Ont., was found unresponsive on a sidewalk in downtown Halifax in the early hours of Dec. 24. Police say he was discovered after they responded to a report of a disturbance involving several people on Brunswick Street at around 1:15 a.m.

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.

Sawyer’s death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy, and police said they aren’t looking for other suspects.

Police said Levy turned himself in and was scheduled to appear in provincial court on Wednesday

Levy will go to trial on April 30, 2024, on assault charges relating to an October 2022 incident at the bar.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2023.