Friends, family speak out after fatal police shooting in Campbell River
The family of a man shot by police earlier this week in Campbell River is speaking out, saying guns never should have been drawn.
RCMP opened fire on Jared Lowndes in the parking lot of the Tim Hortons in the 2000 block of South Island Highway on Thursday morning.
Police had attempted to stop Lowndes on an outstanding warrant associated with his vehicle, and they said in a news release after the shooting that he had failed to stop for them.
When they located his vehicle in the Tim Hortons parking lot later, they boxed him in and sent a police dog named Gator after him. Lowndes stabbed and killed Gator right before officers shot him. The dog's handler was also injured in the altercation.
The Indigenous man's friends and supporters say officers didn't need to call in a police dog and didn't need to use lethal force.
"There was no need to shoot someone like Jared in the head like that," said Krista Hackett, the mother of the slain man's two daughters.
“They are going to have a life long, you know, emptiness in them, because they lost their father," she told CTV News Vancouver Island.
Lee Hackett, a friend of Lowndes, blames police for escalating the situation.
“They should have approached him with caution," he said. "They shouldn’t have tried to box him in and surround him, and they definitely shouldn't have sent a dog after him like that."
"Jared was stuck in that car already," added Ashleaha Gardiner. "They had no reason to bring that dog out, at all. Jared didn't have to get shot in the face three times, either."
The Independent Investigations Office, which looks into all incidents involving police officers in British Columbia that result in death or serious harm to a member of the public, has been called to investigate Lowndes's death.
The IIO is tasked with determining whether the officers' use of force in the incident was justified.
With files from CTV News Vancouver Island’s Scott Cunningham
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.