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Man shot by police was son of Squamish Nation Chief

Ryan Jacob killed in Burnaby on Thursday
n-gibby-and-premier
Chief Gibby Jacob performs a traditional Squamish Nation dance alongside former Premier Gordon Campbell at the opening of the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre.

Ryan Jacob, 45, has been identified as the son of Squamish Nation hereditary Chief Gibby Jacob, it was confirmed by media on Friday, Feb. 1.

According to reports, Burnaby RCMP were responding to a report of a man with a knife. When they attended they saw a man who matched the description of the suspect.

What happened next is unclear, but witnesses report two or three shots being fired after a man with a knife confronted police. Ryan Jacob was transported to hospital with gunshot wounds, where he was later pronounced dead.

The new Independent Investigations Office, launched in 2012 and staffed with civilians with the power to investigate police, is investigating the shooting. The new office is tasked, among other things, with investigating incidents where police use force.

Gibby Jacob himself confirmed that it was his son that was killed by police.

The family issued a statement on Friday: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of our son Ryan Jacob. This news has sent a shockwave through our family and our community.

"He was not only our son, he was a loving father, brother, uncle, nephew and cousin, a sportsmen and an artist.

"We are still trying to process this information and we ask that our family is afforded the time and privacy necessary to respectfully mourn our loss."

Gibby Jacob is well known in Sea to Sky, and helped broker the deals that established the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler, as well as the Olympic land swap deal that resulted in the First Nations gaining several tracts land in the Whistler community - including the Baxter Creek area above the Rainbow subdivision that is being developed for housing.

Gibby Jacob was heavily involved in Olympic celebrations, from the lighting of the torch in Ottawa to performing a traditional dance at the 2010 Games' Opening Ceremonies.