A family member said the man was Chris Amyot, a Winnipeg resident and father of seven. He had come to Vancouver on August 17 to visit his two older children and other family members when his trip and life were unexpectedly cut short. “It’s hard to process. Most of the family is traumatized by the circumstances of his death,” said Samantha Wilson, Amyotte’s cousin. The incident happened Monday morning in the Downtown Eastside. Several witnesses reported seeing a man fall in agony after being hit with bear spray. They told CTV News the man was running while taking off his clothes and at one point pouring milk on himself to ease the pain. “We were all yelling at the police that he had been bear sprayed and needed help and they didn’t listen,” Nicholas Green told CTV News on Monday. “It hurts. The police are supposed to help.” Vancouver police confirmed there was an “interaction” between the man and officers. They said a handgun was fired, which they described as a non-lethal tool used by trained officers when people do not comply or exhibit violent behavior. Amyotte was taken into police custody where he experienced a medical problem and lost consciousness. The Vancouver Police Department said efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. The Independent Investigations Office is now investigating whether the officers’ actions played a role in Amyotte’s death. Wilson said her cousin just celebrated his 42nd birthday earlier this month. He is the father of seven children, some of whom are too young to understand their father’s death. Wilson said Amyotte is remembered as a family man who loved his children dearly and was there to take care of his parents. “He was always laughing from the pit of his stomach. He always had the best jokes and was just really outgoing,” she said. He said his family hopes the IIO investigation will shed some light on what happened to help bring them closure and answers.
