Supporters of mother killed in Surrey RCMP shooting call for transparent investigation

A number of advocate groups are calling for an open, transparent investigation into the fatal shooting of a mother by Surrey RCMP last week.

Vanessa Renteria Valencia was killed in the early morning of Sept. 19, after police say they were called to a disturbance at a Surrey home.

Family, friends and support workers say there are many unanswered questions about what led up to the shooting, and are demanding accountability.

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“This person has suffered violence in Colombia and then came here, also suffered violence and the result of that was that the police killed Vanessa in front of her daughter; she was trying to protect her,” said Nadia Revelo with the Committee of Solidarity for Vanessa.

Last week, members of Valencia’s church community told Global News that her husband had phoned 911 in the early morning hours the day she died.

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The Independent Investigations Office (IIO), which is probing her death, said a woman had reportedly locked herself in a room with a toddler, and was holding a weapon near the child.

Neighbours told Global News they heard police yelling commands over a period of about 30 minutes, including “drop the knife,” “drop the weapon” and “drop the scissors.”

The deadly shots were fired around 5:30 a.m.

Support workers have since revealed that Valencia had been living with her daughter in a shelter for two months, because of allegations of abuse.

A source told Global News she confided in a friend about mistreatment out of concern the friend called police the day before Vanessa was killed.

“We know that women living in abusive situations retreat to bedrooms, spare rooms, bathrooms with their children to establish a physical boundary between them and those they believe could do harm to them,” said Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women’s Support Services.

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The context of the 911 call the day of the shooting, whether Valencia actually had a weapon and details about the abuse allegations remain unknown.

The Surrey RCMP has declined to answer further questions, citing the IIO investigation, while the watchdog is keeping tight-lipped for the time being.

“This investigation will take some time, but you can be assured that at the conclusion of the investigation, we will be releasing additional information,” said IIO Chief Civilian Director Jessica Berglund.

Police say Valencia’s daughter was not physically injured in the incident, though her future is now uncertain.

Friends say Valencia, a youth leader, was forced to flee Colombia because of her union activism, but that her dreams of a better life in Canada have been cut short.

— with files from Rumina Daya