Stabbing spree, police shooting in Downtown Eastside caught on camera
Vigil held Friday night for man killed by police, more resources urged for the mentally ill
B.C.'s police watchdog is going through videos as part of their investigation into the Vancouver police shooting of a man who went on a stabbing rampage in the Downtown Eastside which left one dead and a stabbing victim critically injured.
A small gathering of people — mostly from Vancouver's African community — say the death might have been prevented. They held a vigil for the man, lighting candles and speaking passionately about the man.
"Justice has not been served," said Jean DeDieu Hakizimana, who organized the vigil. " So we are here to remember the soul of our brother."
RAW VIDEO: Jean de Dieu Hakizimana speaks at vigil for Somali-born man slain by police
The IIO is looking into the shooting death and has collected security video that captured images of the man killed fighting with and ultimately stabbing two of his victims. Several videos have been posted online showing the tense situation between police and the man with the knife from different angles.
Police say they shot and killed a man in the middle of a stabbing rampage after he refused to drop his knife and began stabbing a woman right in front of them.
According to police, officers first tried to subdue the man by firing bean-bag rounds at him, but then said they shot him after he randomly began stabbing a woman.
She remains in critical condition, while the two other victims were treated for non life-threatening injuries.
Organizers of Friday's vigil said they don't condone the knife violence, but say they need to raise their concerns that police used too much force in the killing.
"All the people are angry with the Vancouver police for their action to shoot that guy six times," he said at the vigil. "They're not supposed to kill someone like that."
'I wish they could have shot him in the leg'
"I wish they could have shot him in the leg or the hand," said Amran Toyo, who is active in the Somali community in Metro Vancouver.
The man shot by police has not yet be identified. Those at the vigil seemed to know little about the man's background, other than that he is of Somali decent, a recent arrival in Vancouver and he had needed help.
"What I see as an African community or Somali community in these matters is they need more help for mental illness counseling, those kind of things in order to prevent this kind of problem," said Toyo.
Hakizimana echoed the call for more supports for vulnerable people in the DTES.
"We need the service providers who understand them, who understand where they come from. Their language, their culture."
with files from the Stephanie Mercier