Civilians, police officers commended for bravery in face of gunfire, violence

A Surrey truck driver who tackled a gunman and a police officer who held fire when a gun was pointed straight at her were among the civilians and police officers honoured for bravery by the Vancouver police department on Thursday.

The past year had “more than its share” of events demanding courage on the part of police officers and civilians, Police Chief Jim Chu said at the department’s annual Chief Constable’s Commendation and Certificate of Merit Award Ceremony.

Their response, he said, was “a reminder of the good that waits in all of us when we have to go beyond the call.”

Among civilians awarded the Certificate of Merit — the police department’s highest award for civilian bravery — was Surrey truck driver James Furtado, who with his friend Jeffrey Cook pursued and tackled a gunman who shot down a nightclub doorman and then tried to shoot them.

The shooting occurred just after midnight Feb. 13, 2011 outside the Barcelona Nightclub on Granville when a drunken patron who had been turned away by the doorman returned with a handgun and opened fire, hitting the doorman twice in the leg.

Furtado was standing on the opposite side of Granville talking to his friend and co- worker Cook, who also moonlighted as a doorman, when the shooting began.

“It was a busy night and there were 200 or 300 people in the street, which was blocked off for the Olympics anniversary party. There was a lot of people walking up and down the street when five or six shots were fired off across the street, causing sheer panic. Everyone started to run north, people hit the ground, lay in the street and hid behind poles,” said Furtado in an interview after receiving his award.

“We saw the gun flashes and saw a man holding a gun in the air. He backed up a few steps, turned around and started to walk away.”

Cook called 911, then started to chase the gunman. Afraid Cook was going to get hurt, Furtado ran after his friend “to keep him safe.”

“We pursued him [ the gunman] for four or six blocks, went through the lane and down Seymour. We stayed about 50 feet behind with Jeff telling police which direction we were going.”

As they emerged onto Davie, the gunman stopped, turned around and aimed his weapon at them.

“When the gun was pointed at me I was kind of fearful there for a moment. I thought, ‘ This is it.’ There was a second when nothing happened, then he tried to fire three or four times but there was no bang and he was fiddling with the top of the gun.

“I thought I’d better grab this guy before something happens. I didn’t know if he had more bullets or if the gun was jammed, I just know I had to stop him real fast.”

“I started sprinting and I ran right into his body,” he said. Jeff was there at the same time and “he hit him in the face.” The police arrived shortly afterward.

Furtado was alone receiving his award. His friend died suddenly a few months after the incident. “I just wish he was here with me,” he said.

Police Const. Jasprit Shahi and her partner Greg Vanderberg received the Chief Constable’s Commendation for “bravery, restraint and professionalism in the face of imminent danger.”

They were among the officers called to the Oakridge Mall on Sept. 30, 2010, when an armed gang raided a jewelry store, firing weapons and covering the area in bear spray.

Other officers had flushed out one of the gang, who ran from the mall directly into the path of Shahi and Vanderberg, who were just getting out of their police car.

“When we stepped out, that’s when I observed the male with his gun pointing at me,” said Shahi.

“I had my firearm drawn and I told him to drop the firearm on the ground.

“He pointed his gun directly at me with the full intention of shooting me. I saw him lower it down and look at it. I felt there was something wrong with it, that’s why I held fire. But when he pointed the gun at my partner I made a decision to shoot him, but in that split second he threw the gun away and got on the ground.”

Shahi, who has been a police officer for six years, said when the gun was pointed at her “many things were going though my mind.”

“I saw something; that’s why I held fire which saved his life. His gun had jammed but I didn’t know that at the time,” she said.

The other names of those receiving awards, with an account of their actions, can be found at Beyond the Call at vpd. ca.