Except in exigent circumstances, police officers are obliged to make an announcement before forcibly entering a residential premise. Normally, this requires the police to: (1) give notice of their presence by knocking on the door or ringing the doorbell; (2) give notice of their authority, by identifying themselves as police officers; and (3) give notice of their purpose, by briefly stating the lawful reason for their entry. This general rule protects the dignity and privacy interests of the occupants of residential dwellings, but it also enhances the safety of the police and members of the public. See: Eccles v. Bourque, 1974 CanLII 191 (SCC), [1975] 2 S.C.R. 739, at pp. 746-747.
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