Vancouver police say suspect threw feces at officers prior to Hastings Street takedown

An apparent police shooting that drew a crowd of onlookers outside the Waldorf Hotel on East Hastings Street Saturday night was actually an arrest made using a bean-bag shotgun, Vancouver police say. (YouTube / @CannaBallistic)

An apparent police shooting that drew a crowd of onlookers outside the Waldorf Hotel on East Hastings Street Saturday night was actually an arrest made using a bean-bag shotgun, Vancouver police say.

The incident began a block away, at the intersection of Franklin Street and McLean Drive, Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said in an email to CTV News.

Around 9 p.m., officers asked three men who were "obstructing a loading bay" at that location to move, "as this was a City of Vancouver bylaw offence," Visintin said.

"One of the men stated he needed to use the washroom so the officer gave him some wipes and he went behind a dumpster to do his business. When he was done, he took the dirty wipes full of feces and threw it at the officers," she added.

Visintin said the suspect then "unloaded a large can of bear spray" toward the officers, hitting one "directly in the face."

The man fled to Hastings Street and McLean Drive, where he hid inside a portable toilet and refused to exit, prompting the use of the bean-bag shotgun to arrest him, according to police.

Video of the arrest posted on YouTube and shared with CTV News shows several officers and police vehicles blocking Hastings Street. Eight shots can be heard during the short video, and a police dog can also be seen and heard barking. 

Visintin did not say whether the suspect suffered any injuries during the arrest, but the Independent Investigation Office of B.C. – which looks into incidents involving police officers that result in death or serious harm – told CTV News it is aware of the incident.

"We are not actively investigating at this point as it does not appear to meet our mandate," the IIO said in an email.

The suspect was taken to jail and multiple charges have been recommended against him, according to Visintin.