A Vancouver Police Department veteran who was named Police Officer of the Year in 1993 was the officer involved in a fatal shootout with a young man at a corner gas station Monday afternoon, CBC News has learned.

CBC News has learned that Const. Randy Bell, who exchanged gunfire with a man at an east Vancouver gas station, was named Police Officer of the Year at this 1993 ceremony.
(CBC)

Const. Randy Bell has served the VPD for 17 years and is described as a solid and reputable police officer. He is not currently on active duty.

The VPD would not confirm or deny Bell's involvement in the shooting, but Const. Tim Fanning told CBC News the officer involved is struggling to deal with the aftermath.

"In any sort of incident like this … it certainly plays hard with any officers involved, with their families," Fanning said Tuesday. "We're giving him all the assistance we possibly can to make sure he and his family can get through this scenario."

Police have not released the identity of the dead man, only reporting that he's a 21-year-old Lower Mainland resident.

Investigators scoured the immediate area around the Shell gas station on E41st Avenue and Knight Street where the shooting occurred looking for evidence.

Investigators scour the Shell gas station on E41st Avenue and Knight Street in east Vancouver for evidence on Tuesday. (CBC)

Fanning said on Tuesday a lone police officer responded to a call about an impaired driver just before 4 p.m. local time. When the officer arrived, he found a man near the gas pumps, changing a damaged tire on his car.

The officer, who was in uniform and arrived in an unmarked police vehicle, wound up in a struggle with the man.

"During the struggle the suspect, who had a gun, fired a number of shots. The officer was able to pull away from the suspect. More shots were fired. The suspect was hit by a round and he later died from his injuries," Fanning said.

Juilian Swanson, who was near the gas station Tuesday, told CBC News he didn't realize it was a shootout at first.

"I heard the shots," he said. "I did not think they were shots at first. It sounded like more like a tire blew out, but then there was pop, pop, pop — like three of them."

Police interviewed 11 civilian witnesses and seized a surveillance tape from the gas station, Fanning said.