Dani Cooper advocated to remove police from wellness checks. They were shot by police during their own crisis

Dani Cooper, 27, believed the world could be better. They spent much of their time jotting down poetry, writing and recording songs, and building a community around the social justice causes they were most passionate about.

Their guiding cause, according to Dani's father, Dennis, was the belief that armed police officers weren't suited to help people in crisis, whether they be homeless, in mental distress or part of another traditionally marginalized community.

On the evening of Nov.12, 2022, Dani died after being shot by police outside the North Vancouver co-op where they were living. Family members say police were called by neighbours after Dani, who was experiencing psychosis and felt threatened, wielded a smallknife in front of their mother.

In the weeks that have followed, Dani's family has had no communication with police about themoments leading up to theirdeath. Dennis Cooper, for example, doesn't know how many times Dani was shot or whether there was an attempt at using non-lethal force to subdue them.

"We just contend that as a 90-pound, five-foot person, [police]should have been able to find anotherway to deal with it ...they could have been pushed off their feetjust from this throw cushion," said Cooper, sitting in his North Vancouver home.

"So we have a hard time understanding why police officers with cut-proof leather gloves and armoured vests and jackets needed to resort to that, that quickly."

WATCH | Dennis Cooper says he wishes he'd been there:

Dennis Cooper says police didn't have to shoot Dani

2 years ago

Duration 0:41

Dennis Cooper said he doesn't understand why police had to shoot his 27-year-old child, Dani, who they found in a state of mental distress.

North Vancouver RCMP are not commenting on the shooting, citing an ongoing investigation by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., the civilian-led police oversight agency that investigates incidents of deaths that may have been the result of the actions or inaction of a police officer.

A statement from RCMP issued the day following the shooting said, "Initial attempts to take the [person]in custody were not successful. A confrontation ensued, which led an officer to discharge their service-issued firearm."

Dennis Cooper said on that night in November, Dani was experiencing an episode of a schizoaffective disorder, which they had been diagnosed with years earlier. The disorder madeDaniunsure ofwhat was real, leavingthem feeling scared and threatened.

He said Dani had a small, serrated steak knife, which alarmedtheir mother, Cooper's ex-wife. Shesoughtshelter in a neighbour's unit. Neighbours in the co-op then phoned police for a wellness check, and at least five armed officers attended the scene.Dani was shot at some time after 7:30 p.m. anddied around 30 minutes laterafter being taken to hospital.

Cooper was attending the Bryan Adams concert at Rogers Arena when he got the call.

"We'veall seen that in the movies where they say, 'Put down theknife, or I'll shoot.' Someone in a mental health psychotic situation doesn't have the comprehension or the mental capacity to follow instructions or to comply," he said, adding he continues to struggle with the lack of details around Dani's death.

"It's fairly unbelievable that we wouldn't have basic details orat least the factual basis, let alonethe stuff that's subject to an investigation."

It could be up to six months before Dennis Cooper learns more details of how Dani died.Ron MacDonald,the chief civilian director of theIIO of B.C., said he knows the wait for answers is difficult for familiesbut that these types of investigations can be highly technical.

"Our investigation considers every aspect and fact that might be relevant to a conclusion around whether the actionsofpolice were justified [...] what the assessment of risk was by the police and whether it was appropriate and reasonable in the circumstance," said MacDonald.

"Cases such as this can include issues of whether or not a person from a historically disadvantaged group may well have been treated differently because they were a member of that group."

Increase in police-involved shootings

The IIO was created as a civilian-led police watchdog in 2012 after the Braidwood Commission into the police-involved death of Robert Dziekanskiat Vancouver International Airport in 2007. In April of this year, the IIO requested more funds, citing a doubling caseload and insufficient investigators.

A2018 CBC investigationfound that B.C. had the highest rate of police-involved deaths per capita in the country. And the number of police shootingsrapidly increased in 2022. On average, the IIO deals withsix tosevenpolice-involved shootings every year. But by August of2022, four months into a new fiscal year, there hadalready been 15.

At Dani's celebration of life, printed books of their poetry were handed out. A mural of Dani has been painted at Wildfire Bakery in Victoria, where Dani would frequently hang out with friends while completing their degree in social justice at UVic.

Dennis Cooper said he'll continue to advocate for police to be removed from mental health callsand to push forofficers to wear body-mounted cameras, even as he faces his ownpersonal struggle.Earlier this year, Cooper became the class representative in a proposed class action lawsuit against a former North Vancouver teacher accused of multiple counts of sexual assault against former students.

"The old expression, 'Don't bring a knife to a gunfight,' keeps ringing in my head," he said.

"I hope that police are held accountable for their actions and that we reach some level of understanding as to why this terrible outcome was required."