'I don't understand': Family wants answers in police shooting death of Jason Peterson

It wasn't 40 seconds from the time Jason Peterson exited the front door of Corner's Variety, walked to a gold-coloured sedan, and had two Hamilton police officers draw their guns and fire at him.

Video obtained by The Spectator chronicle the last five minutes before the 42-year-old man was shot by police in the parking lot of the Cannon Street East and Gage Avenue North corner store Tuesday afternoon.

The shooting occurred at 4 p.m. after police were called about a domestic dispute involving a firearm a half-hour earlier.

Police located the suspect in the store's parking lot. When they approached, there was an interaction" and two officers fired, said the Special Investigations Unit, which is investigating the incident.

Peterson, whose identity was confirmed through family, died of his injuries on Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. after spending nearly 24 hours in critical condition, the province's police watchdog said.

Surveillance footage provided by Corner's Variety shows Peterson and two other people in a gold sedan pulled into the store's lot just before 3:50 p.m.

The trio unknowingly parked a few cars down from a Dodge Caravan which was being driven by an undercover police officer.

At around 3:51 p.m., two men exited the sedan within 20 seconds of each other and entered the store. Both of the men's identities have yet to be released by police.

As the first man approached the store's door, the Dodge Caravan exited the lot and turned left onto Gage.

Peterson exited the sedan and entered the store just before 3:56 p.m.

It is unclear through the video whether the other two men had returned to the car by that point. The Dodge Caravan could be seen parked across the street on Gage.

Said Seif, owner of Corner's Variety, said the two men had exited the store before Peterson entered. He said the three men purchased a bunch of different things" like candy, deodorant and sports drinks.

Peterson - who was wearing a white shirt, dark shorts and grey hat with a gym bag strapped over his shoulder - spent a total of three minutes and thirty-one seconds inside the store. He could be seen at the cash purchasing two lime Gatorade's and a can of deodorant.

At 3:59 p.m., Peterson left the store and walked towards the sedan. The sedan was partially blocked in the video by a Kia Sedona which was driven by another undercover officer that parked next to it in the time Peterson was inside Corner's Variety.

About 34 seconds from when Peterson left the store, a Hamilton police cruiser pulled into the lot via Gage and wedged itself in front of the sedan.

Two officers jumped out of the car before it came to full stop and drew their guns.

A third officer, undercover and sitting in the adjacent Kia Sedona, drew his gun and approached the sedan from its right rear.

A fourth officer, also undercover and driving the Dodge Caravan, pulled in behind the cruiser, jumped out, drew his gun and approached the sedan from its left rear.

It is unclear through the surveillance footage when officer shots were fired, but police could be seen for at least a minute with guns drawn and pointed towards the ground.

Hamilton paramedic Supt. Dave Thompson said two men were transported to hospital from the scene - Peterson with critical injuries, the other with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The SIU seized two police-issued firearms and a shotgun from the scene.

Two officers have been designated subject officers" - meaning they are subjects of the investigation - and four have been designated witnesses officers. The witness officers already have been interviewed.

On Thursday, flowers could be seen taped to the hydro pole just steps from where Peterson was shot alongside a remembrance note penned by his aunt.

The Hamilton man leaves behind two daughters, ages 18 and nine, a mother, father and brother.

He is remembered as a loving family man, always smiling, with a penchant for cooking and camping and time with those close to him.

The man loved to cook. If he was cooking, he was cooking a five-course meal, and while he ate that, he was planning his next meal," said his grieving mother, Lucy Peterson, with a soft chuckle.

He was the type of person that when he walked into a room, everybody just had a smile," said eldest daughter Mackenzie Peterson. If you met him once, he had an impact on your life. He was just that type of person."

Both family members believe Peterson died an innocent man.

They questioned why police were so swift to fire shots and are skeptical that not enough time was taken to diffuse the situation from the outset.

Peterson was shot twice, Lucy said, once in the back of the head where the bullet shattered and killed him almost instantly" and once in the left arm.

It doesn't make sense that they didn't even give him the opportunity, by the looks of the (surveillance) video and if there was a weapon, to surrender that weapon," Lucy said.

Who expects to go into the store to buy chips or munchies or whatnot, and come out to the car and be shot in the back of the head? I don't understand it."

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com