Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) will initiate a Police Act investigation

A man, brandishing a weapon, has died this morning after he was shot by police on the Downtown Eastside.

Vancouver Police were called by BC Ambulance Service for police assistance to a residential building near Princess Avenue and Hastings Street just before 5 a.m. Paramedics requested help with a 37-year-old man who was acting in an erratic and aggressive manner.

The man had allegedly smashed the window of his room and was throwing large wooden objects out of the window onto the street. He had multiple injuries to his body as a result.

“Before police arrived, the man had left his residence and gone to the street with a weapon in his hand,” said Constable Tania Visintin. “Reports came in that this man was chasing people with the weapon and using it in an aggressive and threatening manner. The man was subsequently shot by police.”

Vancouver Police said the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) has been notified as legislated by the BC Police Act and will be investigating.

The intersection of Princess Avenue and Hastings Street will be closed for most of the day, police said.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) announced that it will initiate a Police Act investigation into the fatal shooting.

The OPCC initiates mandatory Police Act investigations whenever death or serious harm results from an incident involving municipal police officers. These investigations are separate and distinct from investigations by the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) and are not restricted to evidence gathered by the IIO. Under the Police Act, officers may be compelled to provide statements, answer questions and otherwise account for their actions.

The Police Act investigation will be conducted independently of the Vancouver Police Department under the civilian oversight of the OPCC and will examine all of the actions of the officers. It will also include a review of the operations of the Vancouver Police Department related to the incident, any allegations of misconduct by officers, and any other relevant considerations.

The OPCC will also closely monitor the progress of the investigation by the IIO and will be seeking prompt disclosure of their investigation at the appropriate time. Police Act investigations may be suspended to ensure there is no interference with a criminal investigation or prosecution.