Memorial held for man named in police interaction death in Burnaby, B.C. – BC | 24CA News

Around two dozen neighborhood members gathered Saturday at Kensington Park in Burnaby, B.C., for a memorial.

The memorial was for Calvin “Bear” Goertzen, in keeping with these on the ceremony.

Community members have recognized Goertzen as the one who was killed throughout a police interplay on Dec. 16 exterior of a close-by Starbucks on Hastings Sreet.

The memorial ceremony was organized by native resident Harinder Parmar. Parmar stated she had a pleasant relationship with Goertzen.

“I started to get to know Calvin as I come to the plaza regularly and he would sit outside the Shoppers Drug Market,” Parmar stated.

“One day he was sobbing and was quite upset because his stuff was taken, and he spent all night outside in a shirt and shorts. Over time he became a friend, he connected with my kids and we would bring him meals.”

The final time Parmar noticed Goertzen, she stated he gave her and her household a thank-you card — thanking the household for all of the assist that they had given him.

An Indigenous drum circle and songs echoed within the park Saturday, as neighborhood members mourned the lack of a pal.

“I was doing some harm-reduction outreach at the park, and when on my patrol I met Calvin, or how I knew him — Bear,”  stated Sean Macphail, a front-line assist employee.

“Once you met him, you quickly realize you have met the kindest person you’ll ever meet.”

Macphail continued, “we built a relationship built on trust, and eventually, with connections in the community, we were able to give him some of the resources he needed.”

“We all got to know him really well. What he means to me is… he was one of the first people I worked with in my outreach work. The reason why he’s called Bear is that he’s so big, but I believe he had to be that big because of the size of his heart.”

Macphail stated whereas many people who find themselves experiencing homelessness can usually be invisible to the encompassing neighborhood — Calvin, or Bear as his mates referred to as him, was not invisible to him.

“I’ll never forget him,” he stated.

BC RCMP officers did report a dying throughout a “police encounter” at a Burnaby buying plaza centre on Dec. 16, 2022.

They stated an “overdosing” man was reportedly in a “physical altercation” with an worker and paramedics referred to as Mounties for help.

“When the man was being apprehended, he began to show signs of medical distress,” Staff Sgt. Kris Clark stated again in December. “He was pronounced dead at the scene.”

B.C.’s civilian-led police watchdog is investigating the dying.

According to the Independent Investigations Office, the person went into medical misery after officers arrived, and “an interaction occurred.”

The watchdog will examine whether or not police motion or inaction contributed to the person’s dying.

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