A shot was fired at three Langley animal control officers during a police confrontation on 0 Avenue Friday night, Nov. 10, that ended with a fire and the apparent death of 66-year-old Don Bennett.
More details of the incident were disclosed by Sarah Jones, executive director of the Aldergrove-based Langley Animal Protection Society, who told the Langley Advance Times the officers arrived to find a police standoff underway at a barn in the 23500 block of 0, the road that runs along the Canada-U.S. border.
91裸聊视频淭hey were told [by RCMP] that there was a wellness check happening, and there were dogs blocking access to the person,91裸聊视频� Jones said.
91裸聊视频淲e were called in because one of [Bennett91裸聊视频檚] dogs was in the outside of the barn in the fenced-off area, and so they could not access the door. So we went in to 91裸聊视频榗atch pole91裸聊视频� that dog [and] we did that without incident. Then there was another dog, heard from inside, and that dog was in with Mr. Bennett.91裸聊视频�
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After what Jones described as a 91裸聊视频渟ignificant amount of time91裸聊视频� with no response from Bennett, the officers decided to investigate.
91裸聊视频淢r. Bennett didn91裸聊视频檛 say anything to them. They didn91裸聊视频檛 know if he was alive or not, or even in there, so they needed to check, so they jimmied open the door,91裸聊视频� Jones described.
91裸聊视频淚t was really dark in the barn. When they attempted to open the barn door to retrieve the second dog, that moment is when the shot came through the door towards my officers.91裸聊视频�
No one was hit, but as the officers scrambled to find cover, 91裸聊视频渙ur manager of animal control thought that one of his officers was shot, and one of the officers thought [the manager] was shot, because they went in opposite directions. For a while there, they thought each other had been shot, and that91裸聊视频檚 I think that was the hardest[for them].91裸聊视频�
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Jones said the three officers included one who had been on the job just two weeks and came along to learn how to use a catch pole.
A counselor was brought in.
91裸聊视频淪he was called that evening and had a session with each of them in the night to make sure that they were okay,91裸聊视频� Jones said.
91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e getting the mental health and emotional support they need, and they91裸聊视频檙e doing remarkably well, but I think this [is] something that [can] show up later.91裸聊视频�
WorkSafe B.C. was to meet with the three Wednesday to do a 91裸聊视频渃ritical incident91裸聊视频� debrief.
Jones described the shooting as 91裸聊视频渧ery scary91裸聊视频� and the 91裸聊视频渃all I never wanted to get.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚 send my staff out and I want them to come home safe,91裸聊视频� she said.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a very dangerous job, and I don91裸聊视频檛 think a lot of people understand how dangerous animal control is. They91裸聊视频檙e essentially first responders, because if somebody is being attacked by a dog, their job is to go in and resolve that issue. They don91裸聊视频檛 get to run away. Their job is to go and secure the dog.91裸聊视频�
The second dog was retrieved and both are at LAPS, where Jones described them as 91裸聊视频渘ot in good shape and behaviorally not sound.91裸聊视频� One has a 91裸聊视频渂ite history,91裸聊视频� she said.
A subsequent fire destroyed the building and two police vehicles Friday night. Bennett was believed to be inside, but that had not been confirmed as of Wednesday.
The incident is being investigated by the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), a civilian-led police oversight agency responsible for conducting investigations into police-officer-involved incidents of death or serious harm.
