The man shot by Vancouver police during an incident in the city’s Downtown Eastside last week has been identified.
The B.C. Coroners Service confirmed Tuesday that the man killed in the altercation was 26-year-old Edmonton native Abdi Gani Mahamud Hirsi.
Police fatally shot Hirsi shortly after 5 p.m. on April 9.
Hirsi had allegedly been wielding a knife and stabbing people outside the First United Church at the intersection of Hastings and Gore streets, according to witnesses. Police said attempts to subdue him were unsuccessful.
Officers tried to take Hirsi into custody and fired rounds from a beanbag shotgun at him, Vancouver police Sgt. Randy Fincham said at the time of the incident. It was only after he allegedly became violent that they opened fire.
"The suspect turned his attention to a woman who was standing nearby and he began to stab her," Fincham said in a statement issued to media. "Police shot the man."
The Independent Investigations Office, which handles police-involved shootings, was called to the scene. The office and the coroners society are still investigating Hirsi’s death.
A cell phone video of the incident obtained by CTV News captured part of the tense confrontation. In it, police can be heard firing five rounds in the direction of Hirsi, who is off camera.
Some groups have cited the incident, and the video, as an argument in favour of police officers wearing body cameras.
The Pivot Legal Society said though the footage doesn’t offer a clear view of the critical moment, it still demonstrates the usefulness of having a video record, for the protection of both the public and police.
