Vancouver Police Department officers responding to a violent man at a Canadian Tire resulted in a fatal shooting in November 2016. A man taken hostage before a fatal police shooting in 2016 in Vancouver told investigators he was a human shield, a BC Corners inquest heard Nov. 1 Daniel Peter Rintoul, 38, died on November 10, 2016, after police shot him outside the Grandview and Boundary Canadian Tire store. The shooting came after a botched robbery in the store’s firearms department. Police shot Rintoul after he allegedly stabbed a store clerk and a police officer, both of whom were hospitalized with stab wounds. In February 2019, BC’s Independent Investigations Office (IIO) cleared the officers of any wrongdoing and said Rintoul posed a “threat of deadly violence to members of the public.” Presiding Coroner Susan Bart and a jury are hearing evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding this death. The five-person jury can make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances. Jurors must not find legal liability or express any legal conclusion. Police responded to the Canadian Tire store around 3 p.m. that day after receiving multiple 911 calls. Police said a man entered the store dressed in camouflage clothing, stabbed a store clerk and began removing firearms from gun cabinets. Investigating attorney Chris Godwin said in a briefing to open the case that Ridoul was carrying a knife and bear spray. He said Rintoul unsuccessfully tried to load a gun after spraying staff member Jose de Jesus. “If he had a gun, it would have been a lot worse,” de Jesus said as he testified Nov. 1. He told the court he was at the counter when the man approached with a can of bear knife. “He had his finger on the trigger,” de Jesus testified. “I gave my colleagues a head start. I said, “Looks like I’d be in some s—“ The man then sprayed him. “I couldn’t see. I couldn’t breathe. Straight to the face,” he said. “Spray me again.” He then heard the sound of glass breaking as the man reached into the gun cabinet. “Get the hell out of here,” de Jesus told his colleagues, before moving towards the man to try and stop him. “It turned me on. He cut me off. I could feel the blood running.” He was taken to the hospital for surgery. The court heard he suffered physical and other problems after the incident but returned to work. At that point, de Jesus tried to reach the nearby elevators. “Another employee was my eyes and ears,” he said. He said about 30 minutes passed, during which he heard gunshots from outside. The hostage Meanwhile, 82-year-old Harry Bruderer had already gone upstairs where he was told to return to the elevator. Bruderer has since died, but the inquest saw the videotaped statement he made to the IIO. Such investigations are conducted for incidents involving the police. He said he saw blood on the floor and a body. Going back downstairs, he said he was passing the escalators and saw a large man coming down. The man put his arm around Bruderer’s shoulder and showed him a knife. Bruderer described the knife as a switch blade with a blade three to four inches long. He told Bruderer to do as he said and he would be fine. “I didn’t know he wanted me to be a human shield.” “He was bleeding,” Bruderer said. “I knew he was in trouble.” He said after seeing the scene upstairs, “I didn’t want to be next.” Soon, the man led Bruderer toward an exit. “I saw at least three or four police officers,” Bruderer said. “Everybody had a gun drawn. It was against us.” The man then fell and the police entered. “It was three or four guys jumping on top of him, trying to hold him down, kicking him all over his body,” he said. “Jesus, that’s brutal.” He said at some point the man managed to get up and attacked the police. “The next thing I heard is pop, pop, pop, pop.” Bruderer said to return to the store. Asked what he thought caused the man to fall, Bruderer said: “It could have been a bullet. I do not know. The only noise I could hear was him screaming in pain and the F-word, and then he went quiet.” “After so many bullets, the guy didn’t move anymore,” Bruderer said. Bruderer said he wasn’t sure how many pops he heard. “It was in such close proximity,” he said. “This is brutal. I guess I was in shock by then.” Canadian tire changes De Jesus said the store has greatly changed the way the department operates. Glass has been replaced with plexiglass or accordion gates. Firearms for sale have trigger locks. Ammo that was stored with weapons is now stored separately. The case continues on November 2 with police statements.
