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A young man is dead following an exchange of gunfire with police in Crescent Beach.
Brendon Samuel Beddow, 23, of Surrey was killed Wednesday afternoon following an officer-involved shooting in the 3000-block of McBride Avenue.
The incident – the second police-involved shooting death in Surrey in less than a month – occurred when Surrey RCMP were dispatched to a domestic disturbance around 2 p.m., after a woman called 911.
According to Const. Lindsey Houghton of the Vancouver Police Department – which is investigating the shooting – two officers who arrived at the home moments later were confronted by a man, and shots were fired.
“The man was shot by police and died a short time later outside the house,” Houghton said.
Area resident Marc Hiatt saw the events unfold.
Hiatt told Peace Arch News he was working on his truck less than a block away when he heard yelling and went to investigate.
As he approached a Spanish-style home, Hiatt said he heard police say, ‘Drop it!’ and saw a young man with a gun in his hand.
The man was swearing at police and then fired his gun, Hiatt said.
Police fired back.
“I yelled, ‘don’t shoot him,’” a shaken Hiatt said. “In my mind, he wasn’t trying to kill anybody. My thought was, this kid’s trying to kill himself.”
Hiatt said he saw the man fire another shot and start retreating towards the house, out of Hiatt’s sight. After police fired again, Hiatt said he ran across the street and saw the man lying on the ground, with police administering CPR.
“The cops were saying, ‘stay with me, stay with me,’” Hiatt said.
Nearly two dozen marked and unmarked police vehicles descended on the home, and a portion of McBride Avenue was blocked off throughout the afternoon.
On the scene, RCMP Sgt. Peter Thiessen would not confirm how many shots were fired or by whom, if any officers were injured or if anyone else was at the residence.
Some neighbours reported seeing a distressed young woman who was at the home run next door for help.
According to the B.C. court database, the incident was not Beddow’s first encounter with police.
The database lists past charges for possession and trafficking. As well, he was scheduled to appear in Surrey Provincial Court April 19, in connection with charges of driving while prohibited.
While Thiessen said at the scene that three officers attended the disturbance, Houghton later confirmed two initially responded, and a third arrived immediately after.
“At the time of the shooting, there were two, according to our investigation,” Houghton told PAN.
The incident is the second shooting death involving police in Surrey this month. March 2, 28-year-old Adam Brian Purdie was shot and killed near Highway 10 and King George Boulevard (see related story).
VPD Major Crime detectives were expected back in the Crescent Beach neighbourhood Thursday to canvass for witnesses.
Anyone with information on the March 23 incident is asked to contact the VPD Homicide Squad at 604-717-2500.