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Nephew of 70-year-old fatally shot by police during weapons call speaks out

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The nephew of the 70-year-old man shot by police after appearing to threaten people with a machete in downtown Windsor, Ont. — later dying in hospital — says he feels sorry for the two officers who had to confront him in his uncle’s final moments.

“If there’s any way that I could apologize on behalf of the family for the pain that these two officers must be carrying with them, I’d like to do that,” says Ted Andkilde on the Aug. 17 edition of AM800’s The Shift with Patty Handysides.

On Monday around 2:30 p.m., Windsor police officers attended the intersection of Wyandotte Street and Ouellette Avenue in downtown Windsor for a report of a man wielding a weapon.

In a video of the incident submitted to CTV News Windsor, 70-year-old Allan Andkilde — appearing to raise a machete — approaches two officers.

According to Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), one officer deployed a Taser while another fatally shot him.

The 70-year-old’s nephew says this was not the first interaction his uncle had with law enforcement.

Back in 2014, Andkilde, who was 62 at the time, was charged with multiple offences including aggravated assault and breaking-and-entering.

Later that year, he was sentenced to five years in prison after court heard he forced his way into a property and slashed a person’s neck, according to a report by Global News.

Allan Andkilde also pleaded guilty to an assault charge back in the early 90s, his nephew adds.

“His entire life was riddled with brushes with the law and he unfortunately left a lot of damage in his wake,” says Ted, adding his uncle “moved around the province” throughout his life.

“He was in the Hamilton area and then he was back in Windsor and then he was out west. About two years ago, after he was released from prison, he made his way back to the Windsor area,” he says.

Ted does not blame police for how they dealt with his uncle, telling AM800 there was only so much they could do under the circumstances.

While the 70-year-old’s death has renewed a conversation surrounding mental health, Ted adds his thoughts are with the officer who fired the fatal shot.

“They had a person who essentially lured them into a situation and then threaten them and rushed at them with a weapon. The officer simply had very few options available,” says Ted.

He adds, “I think when people lead a life outside the norms of society and burn bridges as they go, they’re left with very few choices.”

The SIU is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Allan Andkilde’s death. 

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