VANCOUVER - When Dr. Clifford Chase saw Paul Dragan lying bleeding outside a Yaletown Starbucks, he didn’t think the shooting victim had much chance of survival.

“He was not looking good. He was white, his tongue was white, he was unconscious. ... He really wasn’t doing effective breathing,” Chase said.

Dragan, the 52-year-old owner of Reckless Bikes, was lying in a pool of blood after being shot Tuesday outside Starbucks at Davie and Marinaside Crescent, across the street from his business.

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The shooting set off a gunfight with police and a bike pursuit around the seawall to Science World, where more shots were exchanged, but Chase wouldn’t learn those details until long after he knelt beside the fallen man and did his best to keep him alive.

“The blood was running across the sidewalk for 10 or 12 feet and into the street,” said Chase.

The retired doctor, who worked in a Saskatoon emergency room for 25 years, estimated that Dragan lost between three and four litres of blood while he lay on the sidewalk. The average adult man has only five litres in his body.

Chase lifted Dragan’s shirt and inspected the man’s torso, locating a six-inch, gaping wound on his back.

The doctor knew that performing CPR would only cause blood to pump out of the injured man’s body even faster, so he applied pressure to the wound and opened Dragan’s airway until paramedics arrived to take him away.

“I hope for his sake that he gets through it and he stabilizes and he lives, because he lost a lot of blood at the scene,” said Chase, who returned to work at Aquarius Medical Clinic two hours later.

Dragan, a prominent figure in Vancouver’s cycling community and a former member of the city’s Bike Advisory Committee, is in critical but stable condition in hospital after surgery.

The 61-year-old gunman made it as far as Science World on his bicycle before he was intercepted by waiting officers. Another gunfight broke out and the suspect was shot by officers. He was arrested and taken to hospital, where he remains in serious condition under police guard.

Police would not comment on a motive for the shooting. Vancouver police say they expect to released more details related to a brazen Yaletown shooting later today.

It was just after 11 a.m. when the first gunshots sounded in Yaletown, steps from the False Creek seawall.

Adam Hunter was in his apartment near the southern foot of Davie Street when he “heard a huge explosion.”

“I leaned out the window to look where the explosion was and there’s a guy leaning across that blue car, right.”

It appeared to be a police officer in the ready stance. Two officers in the area when Dragan was shot challenged the gunman to surrender, before opening fire.

“(The officer) took one shot while he was leaning over the car. Then he ran around the car and then there were other shots. I heard three but apparently there were five.”

Several strangers ran to Dragan’s aid as police attempted to nab the shooter, who fled by bike along the seawall, with officers in pursuit.

Cole Anderson was travelling with his brother on Davie Street when they stumbled across the Yaletown shootout.

“We basically heard rounds of firing, rounds of gunshots and we peered to our left,” he told The Sun. “We saw two individuals — one in a suit and glasses and the other all dressed in black — engage in a gun battle with another individual.”

The siblings, just metres away from the gunfight, drove to a safe spot to call 911.

The whole scene was like something out of a movie, Anderson said.

“It’s something you can only really realize when its brought to your front door,” he said. “I was just so overwhelmed with emotion over everything that happened.”

Scott Neufeld, a Vancouver Sun editor who lives on the 27th floor of a nearby building, heard shots, then saw bystanders running from the area as police and ambulance officials raced to the scene.

“I never thought I would see people with strollers running down the Yaletown seawall to escape gunfire,” Neufeld said.

Police said dozens of officers poured into the area in an attempt to stop the suspect. They were waiting for the shooter when he reached Science World.

“Our officers were very close by when the shooting happened (and) gave chase to a suspect along the seawall to Science World where there was an exchange of gunfire between our officers and the suspect,” Const. Brian Montague told reporters gathered outside Science World on Quebec Street.

During the shootout, one police officer was injured by flying glass from a police car window shattered by gunfire. She received minor injuries and has been released from hospital, Montague said, but was very shaken by the incident.

Montague wouldn’t comment on a motive for the shooting or even confirm that Dragan was the victim.

“We don’t have any facts right now as to why the shooting took place,” he said.

On the northeast corner of Main and Terminal across from Science World, Lucas de Haro was talking by phone with his wife Christina Tatu, who was trapped inside the centre with their two children, aged five months and 18 months.

Like about 50 others inside Science World, they were released uninjured early Tuesday afternoon.

“She told me that she was about to leave the museum but was told that something was happening and that it is better for you not to go out,” he said.

“Some seconds afterwards she saw a policeman shooting. Then they were told to keep calm and lay down on the floor.”

He said his wife texted him that a shooting was taking place and he rushed down to the scene.

Outside Dragan’s bike shop, passersby talked about reports of the arrest.

Bike store employees refused to talk to reporters, as they put up a sign in the window that said the store was “closed today due to an emergency.”

The Reckless Bikes shop reopened Wednesday morning as police continued to investigate the cordoned-off crime scene.

One employee, who did not want to be identified, said it was "business as usual" but staffers appeared shaken as customers dropped in to offer their best wishes for Dragan.

Yaletown resident Leslie Benisz, a longtime triathlon and cycling events volunteer who has known Dragan since the late 1980s, said the bike shop owner was always "approachable and welcoming" towards special-needs volunteers.

"I have autism and there were other special-needs volunteers who were always made to feel welcome by Paul," he said. "He wasn't like some athletes, who kind of don't want to talk to us."

Benisz, who dropped off a get-well card for Dragan, said he's disturbed by the shooting that has created tremendous concern among area residents.

"Whatever issues there were between Paul and the shooter, no one deserves to be shot like that," he said. "That's no way to settle any issues."

Benisz hopes the neighbourhood organizes a community barbeque after Dragan recovers and leaves the hospital.

"It would let the community know this is a safe place," he said. "I have walked these streets all the time since I moved here 13 years ago and it's a great place to live. A lot of people really try to look out for each other."

Coal Harbour resident Joe Fitzpatrick, a regular Reckless Bikes customer, said he's concerned about increasing gun violence in Canada.

"With everything that's going on in Moncton and other random shootings, it's kind of scary because it seems to be a trend," he said. "Hopefully this is just an isolated incident but it's definitely worrying."

Initially, area residents thought Vancouver was seeing its third gang-related shooting since Saturday, but seemed relieved to learn that the Yaletown incident was apparently unrelated to the ongoing gang war.

Montague said while a shooting in broad daylight was a “very brazen act,” he thought it was a “bit of a leap to say that violent crime is on the increase in Vancouver” because of the spate of shootings.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson also weighed in on the violence.

“We owe tremendous thanks for the courage and fast action shown by all Vancouver police officers who responded today to keep our city safe,” he said. “I know this has been very upsetting for the many people who witnessed the attack, and for those who live and work in the neighbourhood. My thoughts are with the victim, the injured officer, and their friends and families during this difficult time.”

Because of the public nature of Tuesday’s events, there were literally hundreds of witnesses. Police want anyone with relevant photographs or video to contact them, Montague said.

The Independent Investigations Office is also investigating the shooting at Science World.

Robin Plomp, director of one of the IIO’s investigative teams, said his office investigates any incidents where a person is subject to severe injury or death as a result of police actions.

“We’re notified and conduct an investigation to determine if the actions of the officer were justified and lawful,” he said.

kbolan@vancouversun.com

kevingriffin@vancouversun.com

ksinoski@vancouversun.com

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