One man died after shots were exchanged between a suspect and police officers in East Vancouver on Wednesday night, police say.
Reports of an alleged assault in an apartment building near Commercial Drive and East 5th Avenue around 8:30 p.m when officers were dispatched to the scene. according to a release issued by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) early Thursday.
When they arrived, “there was an interaction that resulted in an exchange of gunfire,” the release said.
Police say the suspect, a man in his 40s who lived in the area, died
During a news conference on Thursday morning, VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin confirmed units in the building were evacuated by officers, but she didn’t say how many or when the occupants could return home.
“This was a very active situation,” said Visintin.
Visintin said the reported assault took place inside the apartment complex, but she couldn’t say who called police initially. She stated she didn’t know if a police negotiator was present when the shooting broke out.
