Memorial honours man killed by Windsor, Ont., police outside Beer Store

Stones, flowers, a feather and tobacco mark a small memorial in front of the Beer Store to honour an Indigenous man shot and killed last week by Windsor, Ont., police.

CBC News has learned his name is Jason West.

Steven Mull, who goes by Shaman Stirs the Fire, said he became close to West in a short period of time. The two lived together late last year and Mull said West referred to him as an uncle.

"I felt so sad. It's like losing your best friend," said Mull. "Even though he was a couple of years younger, he always referred to me as uncle and that's a sign of respect. That's a sign of being family, you know.

"It's always an honour because you're thought of as somebody who can help you on your path," he added.

WATCH | Steven Mull talks about his friend, who died after an interaction with Windsor police:

'In my mind and in my heart, all I could see is a radiant smile:' Friend remembers man killed by police

3 months ago

Duration 0:58

Steven Mull, who goes by Shaman Stirs the Fire, said he knew the man who died. On Saturday, Mull performed an Indigenous song in his friend's honour right next to where he was killed.

Officers responded to a call for a disturbance near the Beer Store on Goyeau Street on Friday around 10:30 a.m. ET.

There was an interaction between Windsor police officers and West, 57, when they arrived on scene, according to Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency that investigates serious circumstances involving police.

Two knives were also involved in the incident, the SIU says, before West was shot.

It's unclear how many shots were fired, but the SIU says two officers discharged their weapons.

West was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Even though the two were from different Nations, Mull said that when they briefly lived together, it was "an immersion into our culture."

Mull said he and West were both taken from their families during the Sixties Scoop — the government's removal of Indigenous children from their homes during the late 1950s to the 1980s, and their adoption into non-Indigenous families.

"I think that has a lot to do with what went on recently because when they steal your identity, it's kind of hard to find yourself," said Mull. "He struggled like everyone else."

The SIU continues to investigate, interview witnesses and review surveillance footage in the area.