Hubbard family demands police accountability

Vancouver, December 18, 2009 - The daughters of Michael Vann Hubbard have rejected an investigation by Abbottsford police of the shooting by two VPD officers of their father, on March 20, 2009.

The Abbottsford investigation has vindicated the officers, saying that their use of force was reasonable and legally authorized. They Abbotsford police have made no recommendations regarding police use of force, but instead have recommended charges against a citizen journalist who filmed the incident, and who said that police deleted his video.

Allan Chad, a use of force expert and former VPD use of force trainer, is skeptical of the police findings. “It’s clear from the video that Michael Vann Hubbard posed no serious threat to the two armed officers,” says Chad. “The officers should have de-escalated the situation, created space and waited for backup. This elderly man, who clearly has problems walking, was not going anywhere.”

Michael Vann Hubbard, who is homeless and mentally ill, was approached by two VPD officers on March 20, 2009. The officers threatened to arrest him for not allowing them to search his backpack, which they thought was linked to a recent theft. Hubbard was carrying a box-cutter knife in one hand, which he used to make cards. After a standoff, Hubbard began walking towards the officers and was shot and killed.

The daughters of Mr. Hubbard are critical of the Abbotsford police report. “We want to see the police held accountable for their actions so that the citizens they are supposed to protect don't have to fear for their lives whenever the police approach them”.

The Hubbard family alleges that police used excessive force when they killed their 58-year old father, who posed no serious threat to officer safety. They are moving forward with their civil case against the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver police officers who killed Mr. Hubbard.

“The Abbotsford police investigation and report have no bearing on the outcome of the civil action. This is just another case of police investigating police and we will be looking to the Courts now to determine that the actions of the VPD officers were illegal and unjustified,” says Nina Purewal, lawyer for Hubbard family.