Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
A man has died after a police shooting at a popular shopping plaza in North Vancouver Tuesday afternoon.
Police officers responded to reports of a man armed with an “edged weapon” threatening people inside of a business at Westview Plaza around 1:12 p.m., according to a release from North Vancouver RCMP.
It said the suspect left the business, entered a vehicle in the parking lot, and collided with multiple parked vehicles.
The suspect left the vehicle at the gas station in the plaza and subsequently entered the driver’s seat of an unoccupied police vehicle.
“During the ensuing interaction with responding officers, a conducted energy weapon (CEW) was deployed, and shots were fired by police,” said the release.
The suspect was taken to the hospital where he later died. No officers were injured in the incident.
Jackie Patton, who lives nearby, told CBC News she was having lunch when she heard multiple police sirens rush into the plaza.
She said about a minute later, she heard three shots.
CBC News has verified the authenticity of a video posted to social media platform X Tuesday afternoon.
The video shows several police officers aiming what appear to be either guns or conducted energy weapons into a police cruiser.
Almost immediately, what sounds like three gunshots being fired is heard.
The video does not show what happens in the moments before the incident, nor does it show the actions of the person in the police cruiser in the seconds before shots are heard.
Witness video obtained by CBC News shows a man approach and open the door of an RCMP vehicle as police appear to fire a conducted energy weapon at him.
The man climbs into the vehicle’s driver seat as an officer rushes up and prevents the door from closing. The officer then draws a hand-held weapon and appears to fire three shots inside the vehicle.
Police can be heard shouting commands at the man to drop a knife, before firing what appears to be another conducted energy weapon at the man.
Officers then pull him out of the vehicle and handcuff him.
Witness describes chaotic scene
Bahman Afshari, who owns a pizza shop in the plaza, said he heard noise in the parking lot and came out to see a man sitting in a pickup truck brandishing what he described as a box cutter or carpet knife.
He said the man then ran over to the gas station where he tried to climb into multiple vehicles.
“If it’s open, he get inside,” Afshari said.
Police arrived within minutes and tried to shoot the man with with a conducted energy weapon, but missed, Afshari said.
He said the man then climbed into the police vehicle — at which point the confrontation captured on video took place.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO), confirmed it had been deployed to the scene but did not provide further detail.
The surrounding area remains closed off as part of the investigation.
