A major police investigation is underway in East Vancouver after a violent home invasion and hostage situation ended with a fatal police shooting Monday night.
Vancouver police say officers were called to a home in the 3600 block of Commercial Street at approximately 9 p.m. following reports of a violent incident.
According to investigators, a suspect had forced their way into the residence and was holding a man hostage when officers arrived.
Police say they attempted to de-escalate the situation, but the confrontation continued inside the home.
Officers eventually fired their weapons, striking the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The hostage was injured during the incident and transported to hospital for treatment. Police said he has since been released.
No officers were injured.
The shooting has now been referred to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO), the civilian agency responsible for investigating all incidents involving police in which someone is seriously injured or killed.
The agency says it was told by the Vancouver Police Department that officers initially responded to reports of a man running through residents’ backyards in the area.
“Police arrived on scene and located the affected person (AP), who had gained entry into a residence and had taken an uninvolved man as a hostage using a weapon,” the IIO said in a statement Tuesday.
“There was then an interaction, and the AP was shot by police.”
The IIO is asking anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information related to the investigation to contact the agency at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
