Suspect killed in police-involved shooting at Nanaimo ferry terminal

Caught on cam: Police swarm vehicle in Nanaimo ferry shooting Police descend on a car at a Nanaimo ferry terminal in the aftermath of a shooting that fatally injured a suspect. (Courtesy Shane Kraushar)

A man suspected in a violent carjacking was fatally shot by police officers after he drove off a vessel at the Departure Bay ferry terminal in Nanaimo Tuesday morning, according to B.C.'s police watchdog.

The Independent Investigations Office, which probes all police-involved incidents that result in death or serious harm, said the Island District Emergency Response Team assisted Nanaimo RCMP as they tried to arrest the man.

The man was wanted in connection with a car theft that took place in another part of the province, the IIO said.

It said the vehicle was stopped by police as it disembarked, and as they attempted a take down, the man produced what police believed to be a firearm.

Officers then opened fire on the man, who suffered serious injuries and later died as a result. A pool of blood could be seen on the road leading away from the terminal.

No officers or members of the public were injured, according to the IIO, but it's unclear whether the suspect fired a weapon.

"At this point we’re not sure if there was an exchange of gunfire or not," IIO spokesman Ron MacDonald said.

He said staff aboard the ferry took steps to ensure the suspect vehicle was one of the last ones getting off the boat at the time.

The watchdog has assumed conduct of the investigation to see if there was any link between police actions and the male's fatal injuries. The BC Coroner's Service confirmed it was also investigating the incident.

Witnesses heard loud bang, gunshots

Former Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard told CTV News he was waiting to board a 10:40 ferry to Horseshoe Bay at the terminal as vehicles disembarked from the arriving ferry.

A few cars and a motorcycle disembarked and Leonard said he then heard ferry attendants yelling at the motorcyclist to come back.

That's when he said he heard what first sounded like a car backfiring, then a rapid series of gunshot-like sounds.

He said he then saw plainclothes police running toward the ferry who were apparently waiting for somebody getting off the vessel.

Leonard said there were at least a dozen police cars surrounding something at the terminal as well as two ambulances, one of which had a stretcher.

He said as a result of the police incident, vehicles were unloading from the vessel in arrival area while the departure area of the terminal was fully blocked off.

Ed Pearce, a former West Vancouver police officer, also saw the operation unfold as he was walking with his dog in the terminal.

He said motorists were told to get back into their cars before the ferry even docked.

He said he heard a loud bang and looked over to see a vehicle being rammed by what he believed was an Emergency Response Team vehicle near an office building on the way out of the terminal, about 500 to 600 feet away from the ticket window.

"I could see him pushing this car and I thought what the hell? What happened?" he told CTV News.

Several ERT officers appeared and then Pearce said there was a "huge explosion" that sounded to him like a flash or stun grenade.

He then heard between five and eight shots fired.

"To me, it looked like a high-risk tactical takedown," he said.

He said one person was taken away in a stretcher and a second advanced life support unit was on scene.

"As an ex-policeman I thought the operation looked really quick and safe," he said. "I was not concerned where I was and I thought it was very shielded."

Another witness who wished to remain anonymous told CTV after he heard the loud bang, he saw undercover officers surround a vehicle and begin to fire shots into the front windshield. He said he then saw paramedics trying to revive a person afterward.

Investigators want to speak with witnesses

BC Ferries would only say a "police matter" was unfolding at the terminal. Police remained on scene as of Tuesday afternoon as IIO officers headed to the terminal.

The incident caused delays for those ferry passengers travelling to and from Departure Bay terminal, but operations were otherwise continuing as usual.

Nanaimo RCMP referred media questions to the B.C. RCMP's E Division. CTV News has reached out for more information.

The IIO is now asking any witnesses who saw the shooting to contact them at 1-855-446-8477.