A man is dead following an “interaction” with Vancouver police in the Downtown Eastside Monday morning, but details from police are scarce and witnesses are challenging the official information.
Vancouver Police issued an update in relation to the early morning incident, which resulted in the closure of a portion of the neighbourhood.
The Independent Investigations Office is now investigating the circumstances that led to the man’s death.
In a statement, Vancouver Police say they responded to a scene where a man was acting “erratically” near East Hastings Street and Dunlevy Avenue.
“The man was taken into custody. He then went into medical distress and lost consciousness.”
Police say that despite life-saving attempts, he died at the scene.
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Witness accounts differ from police information
Advocates in the Downtown Eastside have a very different version of what happened this morning.
The Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) claim that the man at the centre of this incident was “executed.”
“He was naked, bear-maced and screaming for help,” reads a tweet from VANDU.
“He was pouring milk on himself as VPD arrived on site and immediately shot him in the back 6 times with a beanbag gun. He was unarmed. He is now dead.”
Daily Hive spoke to another advocate who claims that the man was just released from jail and was going to see his daughter for the first time in a long while.
BREAKING: A man was executed by @VancouverPD in front of VANDU at approx. 7:30AM. He was naked, bear-maced, & screaming for help. He was pouring milk on himself as VPD arrived on site & immediately shot him in the back 6 times with a beanbag gun. He was unarmed. He is now dead. pic.twitter.com/N2CwNuYlA2
— VANDU (@VANDUpeople) August 22, 2022
Daily Hive has requested more information from Vancouver Police and will update this story as more information becomes available.
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