Ryan Jacob, the son of Squamish Nation Chief Gibby Jacob, has been identified as the man shot and killed by Burnaby RCMP early Thursday (Jan. 31).
Chief Jacob, in a family statement issued to media on Friday (Feb. 1), said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of our son Ryan Jacob. This news has sent a shock wave through our family and our community.
“He was not only our son, he was a loving father, brother, uncle, nephew and cousin, a sportsman and an artist.”
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. In a statement, IIO officials said the incident occurred near East Hastings Street and MacDonald Avenue on Thusday at around 1:30 a.m.
RCMP officers responded to a 911 call concerning a man with a knife in the 4100 block of Albert Street. While en route to the call, an officer encountered a man who allegedly met the description provided by the caller at Hastings Street and MacDonald Avenue, IIO officials wrote in a statement.
“A shooting occurred and as a result, the man was transported to hospital where he was pronounced deceased shortly thereafter," officials wrote.
Gibby Jacob is a hereditary chief of the Squamish Nation and has also been an elected band councillor since 1981. He is the nation's chief negotiator for treaty, government-to-government discussions, forestry, land use management and on- and off-reserve development. He was recently awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal, honouring his significant contributions to the community.
