15-year-old student shot dead by Canadian police

The fatal shooting of a teenage student by Canadian police in the province of British Columbia has raised serious questions about the use of force by Canadian police.

According to CBC and Global News, the shooting of a 15-year-old student by British Columbia police resulted in his death.

The incident occurred on Sunday, February 11, on the premises of the victim’s school, and the exact details of the incident have not yet been released.

British Columbia police declined to comment on the incident, claiming that the investigation into the case is ongoing.

According to reports, the police officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave.

The video, less than a minute long, shows a person walking across a yard, pointing what appears to be a handgun at his head.

Police can be heard shouting and asking the person not to harm himself, and at one point, the person points what appears to be a handgun in the direction of the police.

The person then moves behind a bush, out of the camera's view, and the footage shows two officers taking cover behind a police car. What sounds like two gunshots can then be heard in quick succession before several officers rushed into the frame toward the person.

University of Alberta criminology professor Temitope Oriola, who specializes in policing and use of force, says while police are permitted by law to use a range of force up to and including lethal force, wonders whether more could have been done to de-escalate the situation.

Oriola watched security camera footage provided by CBC News that showed part of the police's interaction with the teen. He said the interaction ended "too quickly and seemingly hastily."

"It is absolutely possible that a few more minutes of verbal engagement and restraint on the part of the officers might have saved his life," Oriola told CBC News.

The Canadian police have faced a wave of criticism and protests following the incident; Canadian police officials claim that when they are in high-pressure situations, they have to make difficult decisions in a matter of seconds, which increases the error rate.