Afshari recounted how the suspect moved toward the gas station and police vehicles.
"Then he couldn't run away from the car, he jumped in the gas station, going in the other car, couldn't go that way, again tried the other car.
Then he can't go that way, there is one cop's car coming, he's beside him, he jumps in the cop's car, tries to get away from him, and he gets shot, with a rubber bullet," said Afshari.
Afshari noted the intensity of the scene at the shopping center.
"It was terrible; it was like a movie action, you know. Everything you see on the movie, you see the life in front of your eyes," said Afshari.
He added that the suspect continued trying to enter open vehicles.
"If it's open, he get inside," said Afshari.
Police Response and Investigation
In an official statement regarding the shooting, police confirmed officers fired weapons during the confrontation inside the cruiser.
"During the ensuing interaction with responding officers, a conducted energy weapon (CEW) was deployed, and shots were fired by police," said North Vancouver RCMP.
An unidentified witness described seeing officers surround a vehicle prior to the final encounter.
"They all came flying in to surround the black Chevy Malibu ... with guns drawn screaming and yelling," said the witness.
The witness further detailed how the suspect ran directly toward the police cruiser.
"He then went bolting towards the police.
I watched him run right towards the police cruiser and then jump in the seat," said the witness.
The witness observed officers discharging their firearms during the struggle.
"They clearly shot him. I think it was about three or four times," said the witness.
The witness described the scene immediately following the shooting.
"Everybody went back up to standing and they just went and got their police tape," said the witness.
Following the incident, North Vancouver RCMP issued an alert restricting access to the area.
"We are asking the public to avoid the area until further notice," said North Vancouver RCMP.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B. C.
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has been deployed to conduct an independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
