Vancouver police have confirmed that a stabbing suspect has died after being shot by officers in a convenience store. The incident occurred when police responded to reports of a man wielding a knife.
The suspect succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on Wednesday, while two individuals suffered non-life-threatening injuries. According to Vancouver Police Constable Tania Visintin, one person was stabbed in the hand, and another sustained facial injuries, though the specifics of those injuries remain unclear.
Witnesses reported that the man had stolen liquor and a knife from a restaurant before using the weapon to stab people at a nearby 7-Eleven store. “One of the kitchen staff asked if he could help, and the suspect then threatened him with the knife, asking if he wanted to die,” said Kylie Noel, who was working at the Original Joe’s restaurant located at Robson and Hamilton streets in downtown Vancouver.
Noel’s co-worker instructed her to call the police amid the unfolding chaos.
Video recorded by Mainul Islam, a student and part-time food delivery worker, captures police officers drawing their weapons over the 7-Eleven counter, yelling commands for the suspect to “move over” before firing at least ten shots.
Islam witnessed the incident while picking up a food order, stating, “I saw a man trying to steal cigarettes behind the counter, and the staff were attempting to stop him.” He described how the suspect produced a knife and attempted to stab a male employee, who managed to escape. The suspect then turned to a woman nearby, where blood was visible, but Islam noted that she seemed to recover.
Noel recounted that prior to the police involvement, the suspect had entered Original Joe’s, requested a glass of water, and refused to leave when she denied him. By the time other staff approached, he had exited but was later seen outside with what appeared to be stolen alcohol. After returning to the restaurant’s main area, Noel saw him behind the bar once again, prompting her to alert her kitchen colleagues. This was the moment he threatened her coworker with the knife.
In the footage captured by Islam, a stun gun held by an officer is visible, showing that it had already been deployed, with wires trailing over the counter inside the convenience store. “Move over, right now. Move over,” a police officer can be heard shouting before gunfire erupts.
Credit: ABC News
