Suspect killed in police-involved shooting could be linked to Okanagan crime spree
Police are looking for people who witnessed incidents
Police have revealed two other incidents in British Columbia that were possibly linked to the carjacking suspect who died in a police shooting at Departure Bay ferry terminal in Nanaimo on Tuesday.
They believe the suspect could be connected to a shooting in Vernon and a carjacking in Penticton, which both took place on May 7.
The shooting occurred at noon in Vernon, and the alleged shooter left the area in a 1996 grey Ford Crown Victoria with a sticker in the lower passenger side rear window.
Later that night, at around 8:35 p.m. PT, a man seen with a gun who matched the shooter's description was seen at a Penticton motel.
A short while later, at 8:46 p.m. PT, the man was involved in an alleged carjacking, police said.
He had asked the driver of a bluish-grey Pontiac Vibe for a ride to the hospital to see a sick family member. Once in the car, the man assaulted the driver and forced him out of the vehicle. The driver sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries.
On Tuesday morning, police were tipped off that the stolen vehicle had boarded a ferry at West Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay terminal and was nearing the Departure Bay ferry terminal in Nanaimo.
An emergency response team was ready to arrest the suspect when he drove his vehicle off the ferry. But the suspect was shot and killed.
The Independent Investigations Office is reviewing the circumstances that led up to the shooting. The organization probes all police-involved incidents that result in death or serious harm.
Police seeking public's help
RCMP media spokesperson Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said police are still trying to determine the possible links between the incidents and whether the suspect acted alone.
"It takes a team of individuals in order to comb through the evidence," Shoihet said.
"It was pretty evident to us initially that there may have been some link. However, it wasn't until we were able to verify through video surveillance and say okay, that appears to be the same car.
"We really want to nail it down and make sure that we have that information correct."
For now, Shoihet said police are seeking the public's help in locating the 1996 grey Ford Crown Victoria with the licence plate DR258M.They're asking witnesses to come forward.
With files from Belle Puri and Megan Batchelor