Axe-wielding man in North Van faces weapons charges

An axe-wielding man who was Tasered and arrested Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 1) by North Vancouver RCMP a few blocks from a local high school is now facing weapons charges.

Police in North Vancouver were involved in the dramatic takedown after witnesses said they saw the man yelling and waving what appeared to be a butcher knife and an axe near the corner of Capilano Road and Montroyal Avenue around noon.

According to the North Vancouver RCMP, a member of the public alerted an officer on patrol to a man on Nancy Greene Way allegedly carrying a large knife in one hand and an axe in the other.

The police officer quickly located the man, who appeared agitated and was unco-operative with directions to drop the weapons.

Instead, the man allegedly damaged the officer’s police car as the officer attempted to de-escalate the situation.

Several other police officers raced to the scene, where witnesses said they saw police appear to use “rubber bullets” and a Taser to subdue the man.

Police used a 40 mm “extended range impact weapon", followed by a Taser, to take the man safely into custody, said Sgt. Peter DeVries, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP.

Extended range impact weapons shoot blunt impact projectiles meant to cause enough pain to subdue a person without leaving lasting injury.

A video of the incident viewed by the North Shore News appeared to show a man walking quickly towards police officers, holding the weapons in both hands. When he reaches the area close to the officers, one of them shoots him with an extended range impact weapon and the suspect falls to the ground.

Police said they acted to bring the situation quickly under control to avoid danger to the nearby public, who included a large group of Ecole Handsworth Secondary students, who were on their lunch break at the time.

“This was a very dangerous situation,” said Supt. Will Yee, officer in charge of the North Vancouver RCMP. Yee said police are relieved there was a peaceful resolution and nobody was hurt in the incident.

The man was examined in hospital and subsequently held in custody.

Mostafa Fatemi, a 32-year-old North Vancouver resident, has since been charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assaulting a peace officer with a weapon and mischief.

He was to appear in North Vancouver provincial court for a bail hearing Tuesday.

Meanwhile, police are asking any witnesses, including anyone with video of the incident, to contact them at 604-985-1311.