Vancouver's new police chief had a difficult first day on the job Tuesday, after an officer fatally shot a man who allegedly attacked police with a chain.
Police Chief Jim Chu did not say how many shots were fired or which officer killed the 39-year-old suspect, who has not been identified.
"It was a very dynamic situation. It happened in a matter of seconds," he said.
"We had an officer down -- unconscious. Our officers are trained quite well and they took what option they had to take."
Witness Ben Doyle told CTV British Columbia he heard up to seven shots from the roof of his apartment building.
And he said police opened fire on at least two separate occasions.
"(The suspect) kept moving toward them -- slowly, but moving toward them -- and then I saw him shot," he said.
"It was the only time I saw him shot, but I had heard shots fired before."
Police responded at about 9:30 p.m. Monday to a report of three men fighting. When they arrived, one of the men knocked an officer unconscious with a chain, said Chu.
The suspect continued to advance toward three other officers on Granville Street, striking another in the face.
Chu said police were forced to retreat for half a block before one of the officers opened fire.
Paramedics attended the scene and tried to revive the suspect, but were unsuccessful in their attempts.
The officer knocked unconscious was a 17-year veteran of the force, and was taken to hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
Chu said the officer who opened fire was a three-year veteran, who had never discharged his weapon while on duty.
"I thought it was fireworks or firecrackers," said witness Daniel Buss. "Then all of a sudden you could hear officers yelling, 'Everybody down on the street!'"
With a report from CTV British Columbia and files from The Canadian Press
