Woman shot by B.C. police was Colombian refugee with young daughter, advocate says

Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

Vanessa Renteria was from Buenaventura, Colombia, and had only been in Canada a short time prior to her confrontation with police early Thursday morning, according to Angela Marie MacDougall of Battered Women’s Support Services.

She had already been approved for permanent residency and made friends in her community, where she attended a local church, said MacDougall, who has been in contact with the woman’s family since her death.

“People loved her. They said she was calm, nice, a wonderful mother,” said MacDougall. “And like any hardworking mother, she was trying to establish herself in a new country.”

Some who knew her were stunned to learn of the circumstances of her death.

Authorities said they responded to a report of a disturbance at a Cloverdale home around 4:40 a.m. Thursday, and that officers were told a woman had barricaded herself in a room, where she was “reportedly holding a weapon” near a toddler.

Less than an hour later, gunfire rang out in the neighbourhood.

A group of Renteria’s friends gathered at the scene later on Thursday, expressing shock and frustration.

“Police, they carry a lot of tools and resources, and we don’t see how someone who doesn’t have a gun would have to be killed,” said Gaston Ntabaza. “We just want justice to be done accordingly.”

Authorities would not confirm whether a weapon was ever recovered from the scene, or whether the toddler was still present at the time of the shooting. It’s also unclear who reported the initial disturbance to police.

The B.C. RCMP said Thursday that it would not be answering any questions while the incident remains under investigation by provincial police watchdog the Independent Investigations Office.

MacDougall said Renteria primarily spoke Spanish, and suggested there could have been a language barrier during the incident. The advocate also raised concerns about whether the RCMP had done enough to resolve the conflict peacefully before an officer opened fire.

“In 2024, we expect that the RCMP would have the skills to de-escalate a situation,” MacDougall said. “We expect that they would use proper practices when confronting people that are not speaking English, and that they would do everything they can to prevent lethal violence against a mother with her child present.”

CTV News reached out to the B.C. RCMP again Friday for comment on whether de-escalation tactics were employed during the incident, and whether an interpreter was required or present, but has not received a response.

The IIO could not share any additional details either, as its investigation remains in the early stages.

In a news release Thursday, the IIO said its initial investigate steps will involve gathering details about what happened to determine “if the force used by police was necessary, reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.”

The watchdog is tasked with investigating all officer-involved incidents that result in death or serious harm, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Nesbit