Dad shot by police while holding knife to mom's throat; 13-year-old daughter was nearby (Vancouver, Canada)

Dad EUGENE ANTHONY KNIGHT was shot to death by the police after they were called to the residence by Knight's wife, the mother of their 13-year-old daughter. Dad was holding a knife to the mom's throat when police arrived and refused to drop his weapon. The 13-year-old daughter was present during the incident. Dad had a history of domestic violence, and didn't seem to "like women." Ya think?

http://www.timescolonist.com/Vancouver+police+kill+knife+wielding+after+alleged+domestic+dispute/2010090/story.html

Man Vancouver police shot was holding knife to wife's throat: IHIT
Eugene Anthony Knight was shot Friday night by two officers after a third officer shot him with a Taser that was "ineffective," said Integrated Homicide Investigation Team spokesman Sgt. Peter Thiessen.
By Sam Cooper, The ProvinceSeptember 20, 2009 9:09 AM

Police shot and killed a 46-year-old Vancouver man Friday night while he allegedly held a knife to his wife's throat -- as the couple's 13-year-old daughter stood nearby.

Eugene Anthony Knight was shot by two officers after a third officer shot him with a Taser that proved "ineffective," said Sgt. Peter Thiessen, Integrated Homicide Investigation Team spokesman.

Knight's wife, also 46, called 911 at about 9:30 p.m. Friday, screaming that a knife-wielding man was threatening to kill her, police said.

Three Vancouver police officers broke through Knight's door at 102-2572 Birch Street within four minutes of the call. They ordered Knight to drop the knife, Thiessen said.

Vancouver police had previously attended the home for domestic-violence complaints, he added.
Neighbours told The Province that violent screams and up to six shots shattered the calm of the quiet, tree-lined South Granville block.

Thiessen said Knight's wife was not physically harmed in the knife-wielding incident and was transported to the Vancouver police detachment, along with her daughter. The wife is co-operating with police and counselling is being provided to both, police said.

The officer who fired a Taser at Knight has 18 years service with the Vancouver police. The two officers who shot Knight have 10 years and nine months experience with the VPD, respectively, police said.

Knight did not respond to commands when hit with the Taser, Thiessen said. IHIT will investigate why the shot was "ineffective."

Thiessen could not say whether the three officers remain on active duty. Neither could VPD spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness.

Jaime Whittmack, 30, who lives in an adjacent building, said before shots were heard, he "heard screaming and I heard someone saying 'Put down the knife!'"

Whittmack said a man and woman could often be heard screaming at each other from the vicinity of Knight's apartment.

Franz Vanderkraan, who lives in the unit beside Knight, said he heard one shot and a "three-quarter-second pause" followed by five rapid shots.

Vanderkraan said Knight seemed to have a dual personality.

He said that Knight, who was about five feet eight inches tall, with a muscular build and owned his own renovation business, could be friendly around the building -- but had a chip on his shoulder, particularly with women residents, and a history of shouting matches.

"I don't think he liked women," Vanderkraan said, adding that he had heard screaming matches from Knight's unit in the past.

Marijuana smoke could often be smelled coming from Knight's apartment, Vanderkraan added.

"He smoked a lot of pot -- he'd float through the hallways."

Vanderkraan said he avoided Knight after the man verbally abused Vanderkraan's family nanny one day, violently cursing her for making noise outside his window.

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is involved in the police shooting investigation.