Moments before fatal police shooting at Vancouver Canadian Tire captured on surveillance video
On Day 1 of a coroner’s inquest, the jury was shown graphic surveillance video from inside an East Vancouver Canadian Tire where a 38-year-old man attacked employees, took a customer hostage, and stabbed a responding officer before being shot and killed by police.
The video from the incident on Nov. 10, 2016, showed Daniel Rintoul dressed in camouflage approaching several employees standing behind the store’s firearms desk.
Outside of the coroner's court, sales representative Ryan Bostwick told the jury he was in the store at the time, and described what he witnessed to CTV News.
“We had an individual come in present a can of bear spray and ask us to open the case. Deployed the bear spray on us without a lot of warning, proceeding to smash the glass and try to take the firearms,” said Bostwick.
After taking a blast of bear spray to the face, Bostwick managed to get away, warn customers and call 911. Meanwhile Rintoul stabbed another employee who attempted to stop him from breaking into the gun case.
Once alone behind the firearms counter, the video showed Rintoul tried and failed to load a rifle before taking an elderly customer hostage and walking him through the store with a knife to his neck.
The jury heard Rintoul ultimately walked out of the store alone, and as police attempted to take him into custody, he stabbed an officer. He was then shot and killed by police.
An independent investigation determined the shooting was justified, but a coroner's inquest is mandatory for all in-custody deaths. The jury can make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths in similar circumstances.
A man who had previously lived in a rooming house with Rintoul also testified. Andrew Burke said he contacted police after discovering Rintoul had sent him a manifesto the day before the shooting that read like a suicide note, and included a list of people Rintoul felt had wronged him.
But Burke told the jury he didn’t read the email until after Rintoul had been shot and killed by police.
Rintoul’s sister and a psychiatrist who treated him six months before he was killed also testified during the first day of the proceedings.
The coroner's inquest is scheduled to last through Nov. 10.
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