A rally will be held on Saturday for the family of a police shooting victim to demand justice.
Kyaw Din was fatally shot in his home on Colemore Street by Ridge Meadows RCMP on Aug. 11, as officers responded to a call for what police called a “reported domestic dispute.”
The rally will be held at 3 p.m. at Memorial Peace Park and the victim’s sister Yin Yin Din plans to speak on Saturday. She will be joined by another sister and brother.
“I want people to know what happened to my brother.
“My brother died unnecessarily,” she said. “To taser him is more than enough. Or they could have used pepper spray.
“They shot him three times, in the cheek, in the neck and in the chest.”
Police had taken Kyaw, an immigrant from Myanmar with limited English, to the hospital many times in the past when he needed treatment for mental health problems, said Yin Yin.
A police statement indicated the deceased had a weapon.
“Officers entered the residence and located three individuals, one of which had a knife. During the course of the interaction, a conducted energy weapon was deployed but was not successful, and another police officer fired their gun,” said BC RCMP communications director Dawn Roberts.
Paramedics attended, but could not save the victim.
The Independent Investigations Office has taken charge of investigating the incident, and police are releasing no further information.
Yin Yin said the family has not been given a timeline for the results of the investigation, nor the name of the officer or officers involved in the shooting.
The family is being joined Saturday by the Alliance Against Displacement, which has been well known locally for advocating on behalf of the homeless population of Maple Ridge.
“Kyaw’s family will speak to the memory of their beloved brother as well as their anger and commitment to fight for justice,” said a post on the Alliance Facebook page. “They will be joined by speakers from other communities impacted by criminalization and police violence.”
The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in B.C.. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.
@NeilCorbett18
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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