A man taken hostage before a 2016 fatal police shooting in Vancouver told investigators he was a human shield, a BC Corners Service inquest heard Nov. 1
Daniel Peter Rintoul, 38, died on Nov. 10 2016, after police shot him outside the Grandview and Boundary Canadian Tire store. The shooting came after what appeared to be a botched robbery in the store’s firearms department.
Police shot Rintoul after he allegedly stabbed a store clerk and police officer, both of whom wound up in hospital with knife wounds. In February 2019, B.C.’s Independent Investigations Office (IIO) cleared the officers of any wrongdoing and said Rintoul posed "a threat of deadly force to members of the public."
Presiding coroner Susan Barth 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. A jury must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.
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 gear, stabbed a store clerk and began removing firearms from gun cabinets.
Inquest lawyer Chris Godwin said in a case-opening overview that Rintoul carried a knife and bear spray. He said Rintoul tried unsuccessfully to load a gun after bear-spraying staff member Jose de Jesus.
“If he did have a firearm, it would have been a whole 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 mace.
“He had his finger on the trigger,” de Jesus testified. “I gave a heads-up to my co-workers. I said, ‘It looks like were going to be in some s---’”
Then, the man bear-sprayed him.
“I couldn’t see. I couldn’t breathe. Straight to the face,” he said. “He sprayed me again.”
Then, he heard the sound of glass breaking as the man got into the gun cabinet.
“‘Get the hell out of here,’” de Jesus said to his co-workers, before moving toward the man to try and stop him.
“He spun me around. He slashed me. I could feel the blood running down.”
He wound up in hospital for surgery. The court heard he's had physical and other issues since the event but has returned to work.
At that point, de Jesus tried to get to nearby elevators. “Another employee was being 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 been to the upper floor where he was told to get back in the elevator.
Bruderer has since died but the inquest saw the videoed statement he made to the IIO. Such investigations are done into police-involved incidents.
He said he saw blood on the floor and a body. Going back down to the lower floor, 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 switchblade with a blade three to four inches long. He told Bruderer to do as he said and he wouldn’t get hurt.
“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 the next one.”
Soon, the man guided Bruderer toward an exit.
“I saw at least three or four policemen,” Bruderer said. “Each one had a gun drawn. They were facing us.”
Then, the man fell and police moved in.
“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 one point, the man managed to get up and attacked police.
“Next thing I heard is pop, pop, pop, pop.”
Bruderer was told to get back inside the store.
Asked what he thought made the man fall, Bruderer said, “It could have been a bullet. I don't know. The only noise I could hear was him screaming in pain and the F-word, and then he was quiet.”
“After so many bullets, the guy didn’t move anymore,” Bruderer said.
Bruderer said he was unsure how many pops he heard.
“They were in such a close range,” he said. “That’s brutal. I guess by then, I was in shock.”
Canadian Tire changes
De Jesus said the store has changed much of how the department operates. Glass has been replaced with Plexiglas or accordion gates. Firearms for sale have trigger locks on them. Ammunition that had been stored with guns is now stored separately.
The case continues Nov. 2 with testimony from police officers.
