A man shot by Burnaby RCMP after police responded to reports of a man wielding a knife has been identified as Ryan Jacob, 45, son of Squamish First Nation Chief Gibby Jacob.
The incident occurred near East Hastings Street and MacDonald Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.
En route to the scene, an officer spotted a man who matched an initial description, leading to a confrontation with Ryan that resulted in the fatal shooting, according to Independent Investigations Office spokesman Owen Court.
In a family statement Friday, Chief Jacob said: We are deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of our son Ryan Jacob. This news has sent a shock wave through our family and our community.
He was not only our son, he was a loving father, brother, uncle, nephew and cousin, a sportsman and an artist.
The family requested privacy to mourn the loss.
The Jacob family has suffered a number of tragedies over several generations. Chief Jacobs granddaughter Leanne was shot in 2003, according to a 2012 Vancouver Magazine article. Shortly before that, two of Jacobs sisters died of aneurysms within six months of each other.
Jacob lost another sister, brother-in-law, niece and grandnephew when a massive mudslide wiped out part of a bridge in 1982 on what was then the Squamish Highway.
The Independent Investigations Office and the B.C. Coroners Service are investigating the death.
