A local anti-violence organization is condemning the police actions that led to a young Afro-Latina mother's death in Cloverdale earlier this week.
Surrey RCMP received a call about a "disturbance" at a residence in the 6200 block of 180A Street at about 4:40 a.m. on Sept. 19, police say.
Staff Sgt. Kris Clark, a BC RCMP media relations officer, noted in a previous release, that when police arrived they learned that a woman had locked herself in a room with a toddler and was holding a weapon near the child.
"At approximately 5:30 a.m., while interacting with the woman, an officer fired their weapon striking her. Officers and Emergency Health Services, who were already outside of the residence, immediately provided medical assistance, but the woman died at the scene," Clark said.
The woman has been identified by the SNTT de Colombia, a Colombian labour union, as Vanessa Renteria Valencia. The union, on social media, is calling for an investigation into her death and sending condolences to her loved ones.
In a letter posted to Facebook, the Battered Women's Support Services said the young mother was from Buenaventura, Colombia. Friends described her as "calm, kind, caring."
"Many commented on her as a mother, describing her as a wonderful mother who would never harm her one-and-half year old," reads the letter.
The society said it joins Renteria's friends and family in their concerns surrounding her death.
"It is unacceptable that the RCMP would use lethal violence with a young mother barricaded with her child when they are trained to use the least lethal option when dealing with difficult situations," the letter reads.
Renteria was a newcomer from Colombia who spoke Spanish. Advocates are asking whether the RCMP had an interpreter onsite or if the commands were given in Spanish.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) was notified of the incident shortly after and started an investigation.
The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in British Columbia. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.
The Surrey RCMP said any questions about the incident should be directed to the IIO.
As the investigation is in its early stages, an IIO spokesperson said in an email to the Now-Leader that, "there are no further details I can provide at this time beyond what is in our media release.
The IIO could not confirm that Renteria was the victim, citing legislation that prohibits them from identifying victims except in rare cases.
