An RCMP incident that ended in the deaths of a Surrey couple in 2019 was sa国际传媒渉eart-wrenchingsa国际传媒� for all involved, the RCMPsa国际传媒檚 critical incident commander told a coronersa国际传媒檚 inquest today (Wednesday, April 17).

Brian White, who was in charge of the Emergency Response Team at the scene, testified at the ongoing inquest into the deaths of Nona Marnie McEwan, 45, and her boyfriend Randy Crosson, 48. They were both killed by police during a hostage-taking in Whalley on March 29, 2019.

White gave a play-by-play account of police operations prior to the shooting.

sa国际传媒淭his was the hardest call I ever did,sa国际传媒� said White, since retired. sa国际传媒淭his will be with all of us forever.sa国际传媒�

The inquest began April 16 in Burnaby at Coronerssa国际传媒� Court on the 20th floor of Metrotower II with coroner Margaret Janzen presiding. Itsa国际传媒檚 expected to run for two weeks, with a jury of four women and a man hearing testimony.

sa国际传媒淚t was a challenge from the onset. We had limited intelligence to go on, and we had a subject that would not even make himself available to consider alternatives. Theresa国际传媒檚 nothing worse for a critical incident commander to hear what I heard that day, to go from some form of elation hearing that the dove, or the victim, had been rescued and then receiving news a short time later from hospital that that wasnsa国际传媒檛 the case, she was deceased,sa国际传媒� White told the inquest. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 heart-wrenching. I feel for the family, feel for the members, feel for the neighbourhood.sa国际传媒�

A Surrey-based police watchdog sa国际传媒� the Independent Investigations Office sa国际传媒� in 2020 found the ERT blameless in the shooting deaths of McEwan and Crosson, whom authorities say was holding McEwan against her will in her rented home. The standoff saw roughly two dozen police vehicles, as well as an armoured vehicle, surround a home in a cul-de-sac near 132A Street and 100A Avenue.

McEwan was killed when she was struck by two police bullets as ERT officers fired on Crosson, who held a large knife to her throat and had sa国际传媒渨hat appeared to besa国际传媒� a gun in his hand. Forensic police later found a sa国际传媒渞ealistic-lookingsa国际传媒� replica pistol between the bed and the wall. Crosson was pronounced dead at the scene and McEwan died in hospital.

Timeline: How the event unfolded

White said he was called at home and, after a briefing, assumed command at 2:32 a.m. from Surrey RCMP Cpl. Chris Payete, now a sergeant with the Surrey Police Service,

At that point White asked the ERT to sa国际传媒渢ransition insa国际传媒� to an inner perimeter, where nobody else could go in or out. At 2:42 a.m. it was confirmed the outer perimeter was contained and a sa国际传媒渇rozen zonesa国际传媒� was maintained, and the loud-hailer was used on the armoured vehicle in an effort to get those in the house to come out.

At 2:45 a.m., there was a sa国际传媒渓oud bang heardsa国际传媒� coming from the residence. sa国际传媒淭here was a potential that a bear-banger was thrown out at the police from inside the residence.sa国际传媒�

At 2:51 a.m., White recalled, sa国际传媒淚 changed the mission.sa国际传媒�

Initially it was to check on McEwan and arrest Crosson, but added to this was now responding to a weapons charge and sa国际传媒減otentiallysa国际传媒� unlawful confinement.

sa国际传媒淣o longer did I feel that we were there just to make sure that the victim was OK. We were there to take custody of the victim and ensure that she was out of that residence.sa国际传媒�

At 2:54 a.m. White confirmed a warrant was authored to apprehend Crosson, and at 3:06 a.m. a man was seen looking out a front window, pointing what one ERT member said appeared to be a pistol at the police armoured vehicle on the front lawn, and a gas plan sa国际传媒渙r chemical munitions plansa国际传媒� was formulated.

At 3:11 a.m., a police negotiator went into the armoured vehicle, and at 3:22 a.m. White approved the chemical munitions plan that if any shots came out into the community these would be deployed sa国际传媒渢o try to suppress the fire, number one, and gain compliance and hopefully cooperation, number two.sa国际传媒�

At 3:31 a.m., he requested a photo of Crosson and made sure all ERT members, including snipers, had it.

At 3:47 a.m. the sa国际传媒渋nner perimetersa国际传媒� confirmed they heard a female voice inside the house saying she was OK. A robot was sent to deliver a mobile or sa国际传媒渢hrow phonesa国际传媒� to the front steps by robot, and at 3:53 a.m. White called for a mental health practitioner.

At 3:57 a.m. he requested Abbotsford Police to send in a second armoured vehicle, and at 4:11 a.m. received an update from the negotiator that a gunshot had been heard at the back of the house at 10:52 p.m. and that six or seven years prior Crosson had sa国际传媒減ulled a gun on someone.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭hat was voiced out to all the members in the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter.sa国际传媒�

At 4:30 a.m., White was told the robot wasnsa国际传媒檛 able to climb the stairs, and the ERT was approved to have its robot take over. At 4:55 a.m. the armoured vehicle was readied to push in the front door and let the ERT robot enter the house.

At 5:02 a.m. McEwansa国际传媒檚 family told police she would come out if she could and that shesa国际传媒檇 just broken up with Crosson. One minute later, as the armored vehicle moved to the door, ERT members believed they heard a male voice inside, and at 5:12 a.m., police saw what was thought to be hands moving at a front window.

ERT sent robot inside

At 5:21 a.m., the ERT opened the front door and pushed the robot inside to try to communicate with the occupants, and a pit bull ran out at 5:22 a.m.

Two minutes later police heard a female voice. The phone was dropped inside the residence at 5:31 a.m., and six minutes later a male and female voice were heard and again at 5:46 a.m.

At 6:17 a.m. police heard a male voice. sa国际传媒淭he words were believed to be either shooting, or shoot me.sa国际传媒� At 6:27 a.m. White learned of a message sent at 3:15 a.m. saying sa国际传媒渢ell those pigs to leave my house or Isa国际传媒檓 come out and shoot them.sa国际传媒�

At 6:57 a.m. the robot heard from the male voice, sa国际传媒淵ou have an hour or Isa国际传媒檓 going to kill her.sa国际传媒�

At 7:10 a.m. sa国际传媒渆xplosive forced entrysa国际传媒� was discussed, using a sa国际传媒渃alculated amount of explosions to gain entry into a crisis point.sa国际传媒� White approved this for a window and door. sa国际传媒淚t was necessary to allow our ERT members to gain tactical advantage as quickly as possible to get into that crisis point and attempt to get compliance, number one, and address what they were faced with, number two.sa国际传媒�

At 7:15 a.m. the mental health practitioner opined that Crosson would kill McEwan once the hour was counted down, but at 7:20 a.m. Crosson said sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 ready for you in five minutes.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淗aving been given an hour countdown and now receiving that information,sa国际传媒� White told the inquest, sa国际传媒渙bviously the adherence to time made me believe that this wasnsa国际传媒檛 a tactical or calculated countdown, this was an emotional countdown, and to rely on timeliness in this case was not something that I was willing to consider.sa国际传媒�

Crosson sa国际传媒榳anted to diesa国际传媒�: mental health practitioner

At 7:23 a.m. the negotiator, still communicating with the mental health practitioner, said the latter indicated it was his opinion Crosson sa国际传媒渨anted to die.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淎t that point, I launched the deliberate action plan. I believed it was necessary at that time in any attempt to save the victim in this case,sa国际传媒� he said. To do an assault into that room, the ERT would have given Crosson sa国际传媒渁n opportunity to become compliant and surrender but they were faced, again, with hostile actions and they were forced to react. There was an explosive entry done on the window of that bedroom as well as the door to that bedroom.

sa国际传媒淎gain, my decision to launch the deliberate action plan on my authority, it was based on safety priorities, that being an attempt to save the victim, the protection of the police officers and the compliance of the subject and stop his actions.sa国际传媒�

At 7:24 a.m. multiple shots were fired. White could tell it was two different calibres sa国际传媒渏ust by the magnitude of the audible gunshots.sa国际传媒� At 7:25 a.m. he was notified Crosson sa国际传媒渨as down and cold, which means he was dead, deceased, and that the hostage had been rescued and was in critical condition, and requested EHS proceed Code 3, which is as fast as they can get in.sa国际传媒�

At 7:34 a.m. White asked for a roll call, to make sure all police officers were accounted for. At 7:44 a.m. he notified the regional duty officer and requested that a critical incident stress management team. sa国际传媒淎t 7:53 Surrey Major Crimes attended the scene and I was relieved of duty.sa国际传媒�

McEwan died because of Crossonsa国际传媒檚 actions, IIO found

The IIO concluded McEwan died because of Crossonsa国际传媒檚 actions, as he held her against her will in her home, threatened her life, sa国际传媒渁nd provoked an armed response from the police aimed at saving her.sa国际传媒� His actions, the IIOsa国际传媒檚 chief civilian director Ron MacDonald said, sa国际传媒渕ade it inevitable that officers would fire on him when they broke into the bedroom, and who held her in front of him as a shield against police bullets.sa国际传媒�

Accordingly, he found, sa国际传媒淚 do not consider that there are reasonable grounds to believe that an officer may have committed an offence under any enactment and therefore the matter will not be referred to Crown counsel for consideration of charges.sa国际传媒�

The IIO operates out of Bing Thomsa国际传媒檚 Central City tower in Whalley and reports to B.C.sa国际传媒檚 attorney general.

MacDonald noted his report was based, in part, on the statements of 25 sa国际传媒渃iviliansa国际传媒� witnesses, seven paramedics and 38 witness police officers. A toxicology report indicated Crosson had methamphetamine, amphetamine, fentanyl, nor-fentanyl, heroin, ethanol, THC and naloxone in his system.

White said in some 100 similar calls hesa国际传媒檚 lost sa国际传媒渟ubjects,sa国际传媒� but added, sa国际传媒淚 can honestly say thatsa国际传媒檚 their decision if they chose to take their own lives, whether it be a lone barricade or a suicide barricade, I can rationalize that in my mind because it is them making conscious decisions, maybe not sober decisions, but conscious decisions end-of-life. This was not the case. This will be with all of us forever.sa国际传媒�