Toon Zone Talkback - Vancouver Animator Paul Boyd Shot and Killed by Police

At approximately 9:30 on Monday night at Granville and 16th in Vancouver British Columbia, I was on the 601 to South Delta, (Tsawwassen and Ladner), and we pulled up to a bus stop and traffic light and were stopped for what seemed like quite a while. There were several police cars next to us (I was sitting on the left-hand side). A man was about to be handcuffed, but broke away and a minor fight broke out. The suspect pulled out a small chain which one of the witnesses on the bus said was "a wallet chain." I assumed one of the officers was hit and the situation had become out of hand because one went to unholster his sidearm. I made a mental note of this because I have never seen an officer pull his gun out in Canada before, and I knew it to be rare. The fight moved around to the back of the bus and I turned back to face the front. Then I heard a shot, then another several seconds later. I turned around in my seat, and saw clearly a struggling suspect unable to stand straight. An officer stood 25 feet away from him with his gun aimed at him. He shot several times with the shots fairly evenly spaced. It was clear that every shot he fired was coming from his gun, since I saw the recoil and flinch. As the suspect stumbled on his feet and writhed on the ground several more shots were fired. Since gunshots do not neccessarily hurt and immobilize, everybody was confused as to the type of weapon (ie. lethal or non-lethal), a man on board claimed that they were "rubber bullets", so most of the youngsters were not too perturbed, indeed many thought he had been shot with a TASER.

I turned back in my seat to face the front, disgusted at the scene, while the other passengers crowded in the aisle and leaned into the left hand seats to look out of the window. Then another shot. I turned around again. The next scene will live in our minds forever. The completely subdued and now dying man was sitting up on his knees, helpless and somehow strangely pathetic as he gently felt the area around his hips and abdomen as if confused as to what was happening. Several on the bus felt a pang of pity for this unknown, but plainly completely defenseless suspect, and several of the kids commented on the use of excessive force. The officer standing with the gun then shot him repeatedly and methodically. Only several of us knew the possibility of what was happening. It was a public execution, done brutally and inhumanely in front of many witnesses, many of whom were were young teenagers.

It is vital that if you were on this bus that your parents contact your local media and the RCMP, as this information is needed for an inquiry. Those on the bus may have a completely different take of the events, as the relative quiet would have allowed for a more accurate recollection of events. Ignore anyone that tells you that you should fear police reprisal. They are here to help you and make the city that you live in safer. If nobody does anything now, this will surely happen again and again. How can you change the world if you fear it? Only when we know the truth can we forgive this man who acted in anger that so many of us have towards each other. by J. Menzie - a brave person indeed
 
Neeeever mind. Usually when I make posts with lots of big words and commas people read them. Okay, sometimes when I make posts people read them. You appear to have neglected to do so in any case. I suppose I'll just inquire as to why you're posting all of this conspiracy nonsense here? You seem to have very little interest in the suspect, the only element of this story making it relevant to an animation board, and more interest in discrediting the Vancouver police without any actual proof to support your efforts.
 
One more thing a man is dead so be it but where is the compassion for the many others who die everyday all over the world and are not even mentioned in the news or anywhere.

How about those souls who die everyday of starvation or being homless. These people are the people that don't count they are invisible. Just because your emotionally attached to this animator does not mean his death was a conspiracy to kill him.

Wheres the emotion for those other people who died on the same day as him who are not mentioned. People are going to die and sometimes its hard for us to understand and let go but we have to move on, all our lives will end some day we have to face that fact.

Im not degrading his existance but you treat him more than what he is.
 
I guess the death of a fellow animator/cartoonist means nothing to you lot. I never met the man, but I believe in the truth and in a better world. This forum was started to discuss his death and the tragic circumstances. Oh well have fun with your cartoons children.
 
That we disagree with you and have come up with logical counterparts to every one of your arguments doesn't make us fascists, Communists or anything of the sort. You'll find yourself positively alone in that notion. It also certainly doesn't make us children. I have a small hunch I'm older than you, personally. If you prefer discussions where everyone assumes authority is automatically out to suppress the truth and repress the innocent, I'm sure there's a Facebook group out there somewhere where you'll find hordes of anti-establishment individuals to concur with you.

Also, none of us are animators or cartoonists and therefore the suspect wouldn't be "fellow" to any of us.
 
The police killed an innocent man who was obviously not himself. That's not self-defense, that's murder.

The cops are lucky they're in Vancouver and not my city, that's all I have to say about this.
 
Actually it was self defense, read the article, he had a weapon, had assaulted 2 officers already, one of them seriously injured, he was coming towards them in a manner that seemed he was going to attack, the cops did not have weapons such as tasers at their disposal, and they could not have known that he had an illness. In Vancouver you'll see quite a number of people like that, usually they're drug addicts, maybe that had a hand to play in this, I don't know, Im not a cop and I wasn't there. What I do know is those actions seem to indicate that the man was dangerous, and the officers had to make a call. Is it murder, yea, was it in cold blood, absolutely not.
 
Yup please read the article before you post lol.

And why would there be a conspiracy to kill a cartoonist, he has no political power or control over anything. Hes an innocent person trying to make a living. But the cops did have the right it was self defence after all.
 
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