The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) is investigating a police-involved shooting at the Gateway Shelter in Whalley early Wednesday morning.
Police say they were called to the shelter at 4:20 a.m. following a report of a man chasing another man with a machete in the 10600 block of 135A Street.
According to the IIO, officers located a man matching the description of the suspect.
“During the course of the interaction with the individual, police officers fired their service pistols striking the man,” the IIO said in a statement.
The man was sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A shelter spokesperson said the man, who is not a Gateway resident, had overdosed and he was provided him with naloxone before an apparent theft of his belongings resulted in a violent outburst.
“This is a bit of a result of the level of drugs that are being used,” Wes Everaars of the Lookout Housing and Health Society said. “It’s a very unfortunate incident and it’s often the most vulnerable who are the ones who are having the most difficulty with it.”
Surrey RCMP are investigating the initial incident and the IIO has confirmed a team has been deployed to the scene.
The IIO is called out for any police-involved incident that results in injury or death.
— With files from Neetu Garcha