Indigenous father of 7 identified as man who died after being shot with Vancouver police beanbag gun
An Indigenous man who died after being shot with a police beanbag gun on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside has been identified by his family.
A family member said the man was Winnipeg resident Chris Amyotte, a father of seven.
He'd come to Vancouver on Aug. 17 to visit his two eldest children and other family members when the trip, and his life, were unexpectedly cut short.
"It's a tough one to process. Most of the family is traumatized by the circumstances of his passing," said Samantha Wilson, Amyotte's cousin.
The incident happened Monday morning in the Downtown Eastside.
Several witnesses reported seeing a man flailing in agony after being hit with bear spray.
They told CTV News the man was running while taking off his clothes and at one point, he was pouring milk over himself to relieve the pain.
"We were all shouting at police that he was bear sprayed and he needed help and they didn't listen to us," Nicholas Green told CTV News on Monday.
"He's in pain. The police is supposed to help."
Wilson said based on the family’s understanding, Amyotte was not the intended target of the bear spray attack.
“He was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she said.
Vancouver police confirmed there was an "interaction" between the man and the officers.
They said a beanbag gun was discharged, which they described as a non-lethal tool used by trained officers when people aren't complying or are displaying violent behaviour.
Amyotte was taken into police custody where he went into medical distress and lost consciousness. The Vancouver Police Department said efforts to revive him were not successful.
The Independent Investigations Office is now investigating to see if the officers' actions played a role in Amyotte's death.
Wilson said her cousin had just celebrated his 42nd birthday earlier this month.
He is the father of seven children, some of whom are too young to understand their father's death.
Wilson said Amyotte is being remembered as a family man, who fiercely loved his children and was there to take care of his parents.
"He always laughed from the pit of his belly. He always had the best jokes and he was just really outgoing," she said.
She said his family hopes the IIO's investigation will shed some light into what happened to help bring them closure and answers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, U.S. officials say
An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. The soldier was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to the United States, but travelled to Russia.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Competition Bureau launches inquiry into Lululemon over 'greenwashing' allegations
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an inquiry into Vancouver-based Lululemon following a complaint from members of an environmental group.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc tabled legislation in the House of Commons on Monday proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Bill C-70 proposes to enact a new 'Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act.'