Paul Boyd (animator)

Career

Paul Boyd got his start in animation at International Rocketship, working on two Gary Larson specials. He later joined a.k.a. Cartoon, the team behind Cartoon Network's Ed, Edd n Eddy, where he animated and directed the title sequence. His other animation credits include Gary Larson's Tales from the Far Side and the Flash series ¡Mucha Lucha!.

He co-directed Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show! with Moose Pagen, which earned him an Annie Award nomination in 2001. In the 1990s, Boyd taught at the Vancouver Film School, where a prize named after him is awarded three times a year to the top Classical Animation student, funded by his family. His final projects were two animated ads for the Alberta Government.

Death

On August 13, 2007, Vancouver police officer Lee Chipperfield shot and killed Paul Boyd. Tourists recorded video showing Boyd being hit nine times after swinging what some thought was a bicycle chain at officers, though others said it was a chain made of paperclips. The final bullet struck Boyd while he was already on the ground. Chipperfield was back on duty the next day.

Many of Boyd’s coworkers and family members strongly criticized the level of force used. The Vancouver Police Department investigated the incident and sent its findings to the Criminal Justice Branch of British Columbia, which chose not to charge Chipperfield. A coroner’s inquest in December 2010 brought out details that had not appeared in the Criminal Justice Branch’s report. Following that, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association filed a complaint with the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner, arguing that excessive force had been used.

In March 2012, the province’s Police Complaint Commissioner released a report stating there was not enough clear, convincing, and cogent evidence to prove Chipperfield used unnecessary or excessive force. That conclusion relied in part on an opinion from use-of-force expert Bill Lewinski, who said Chipperfield might have suffered from inattentional blindness due to his heightened emotional state, causing him not to realize Boyd had already been disarmed.

In May 2012, a tourist’s video emerged showing Boyd crawling on the road without a weapon between the seventh and eighth shots. The footage also captured an officer near Boyd handling a chain and tossing it aside, proving Boyd was unarmed when the fatal ninth shot was fired. David Eby, then executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, stated the video made it obvious Boyd was no threat at that moment. Given this new evidence, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team was asked to review the case.

Did You Know?

• Boyd was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his 20s and received treatment for almost 20 years.
• The Ed, Edd n Eddy episode 'May I Have This Ed? / Look Before You Ed!' is dedicated to his memory with the message 'Paul Boyd 1967-2007. We miss you, you big lug!'.
• Boyd attended Lord Byng Secondary School, the University of British Columbia, and Concordia University.