Investigators with the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. were in Burnaby this weekend following the city’s second police-involved shooting this month – this time near Lougheed mall.
Burnaby RCMP were called to the 9300 block of Salish Court around 7:45 p.m. Friday night after receiving a report of a man carrying a gun, according to a media release from the local detachment.
Mounties were told the suspect had left the scene in a vehicle, and when he was located he appeared to be in distress, according to police.
“Police officers engaged the suspect who allegedly threatened to harm himself and then the responding police officers. Shots were fired and the suspect was hit,” stated the release.
“I heard the banging as soon as it went off and ran out to my balcony,” said Dan Walker, who lives at the Lougheed Village apartments. The shooting took place in front of the apartment building, which also houses the Lougheed Village Bar and Grill
Walker said he could hear police yelling, “Drop the gun! Drop the gun!” From his balcony, he could see the suspect bleeding and when paramedics arrived they cut open the suspect’s shirt.
“I don’t think whatever happened here has anything to do with this building. I think it was just a one-time thing that coincidently happened here,” Walker added.
The suspect was taken to hospital and is expected to survive. No one else was injured during the confrontation.
The Independent Investigations Office, the provincial police watchdog, was called to the scene and spent Friday night and Saturday morning processing the scene and speaking with witnesses.
Investigators believe there are more witnesses to speak with and are asking anyone who may have been in the 9300 block of Salish Court between 7:30 and 8 p.m. on Friday night to call 1-778-988-1041.
Earlier this month, the Independent Investigations Office was deployed to Burnaby after a suspect was shot during a police pursuit following an alleged attempted robbery at the 7-Eleven at Canada Way and Edmonds Street.
At this time there is no new information regarding the March 1 incident. Investigators have completed many interviews and are awaiting analysis of the forensic evidence collected at the scene, Kellie Kilpatrick, media spokesperson for the investigations office, told the NOW.
“With IIO investigations, we rarely have updates after the initial incident until we are closer to completing the file,” Kilpatrick said. “We are reliant on the firearm analysis and that takes time.”
