2 Vancouver police officers cleared in fatal shooting in Joyce-Collingwood area

The province's police watchdog has cleared two Vancouver police officers of wrongdoing in the shooting death of a man in the Joyce-Collingwood area last summer.

The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) said in a report released Monday that the officers were justified in using lethal force in the face of an attack in "extremely close quarters."

Vancouver police said on Aug. 19 that officers responded to a call of a dispute between two neighbours near the intersection of Rupert Street and Vanness Avenue and found a man with a weapon.

According to the IIO report, a woman reported an assault in progress and said she had been struck in the face by a man from a neighbouring apartment.

The IIO report said officers found themselves in a confrontation with the man, who ignored orders to comply while being captured on video rushing toward one of the officers while "holding a large knife, blade forward."

The man was shot multiple times by the two officers and died at the scene.

Jessica Berglund, the IIO's chief civilian director, said the officers were in lawful execution of their duties when they went to the apartment.

"They were … given virtually no opportunity to take any action other than the rapid deployment of lethal force," the report said.

One of the officers, the report said, "was faced with a violent attack at extremely close quarters by an individual wielding a deadly weapon and was justified in defending himself from imminent death or grievous bodily harm as he did."

It also said the other officer was justified in using deadly force to defend his partner.

The IIO is a civilian-led police oversight agency that investigates all instances of death or serious harm that may have been the result of police action or inaction.