Randy Crosson had sa国际传媒渄etermined, angry, rage-filled eyessa国际传媒� in his last seconds, using his girlfriend as a shield as police fired more than 30 bullets in their direction.

Bedlam had already erupted in the small bedroom as Const. Brent Wantke followed his fellow Emergency Response Team members in. Crosson, 48, had a gun to Nona McEwansa国际传媒檚 chest, she screamed, and the bullets flew. Wantke didnsa国际传媒檛 fire his, for fear of hitting the other ERT officers before him.

sa国际传媒淭he hostage was brought to the kitchen,sa国际传媒� he said, for medical help. Wantke did a sa国际传媒渨et checksa国际传媒� on Const. Darcy Rowe, to make sure he wasnsa国际传媒檛 hit. sa国际传媒淚t was very crowded.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭hey were in super, super tight,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚 couldnsa国际传媒檛 see the paint on the wall, thatsa国际传媒檚 how close they were.

sa国际传媒淚 couldnsa国际传媒檛 say how many rounds came from who.sa国际传媒�

At the four-minute mark into Crossonsa国际传媒檚 five-minute warning, the six ERT officers were authorized to go in. sa国际传媒淲e believed that the suspect was going to imminently kill the hostage,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒滿y role was to simply save the hostage any way possible.sa国际传媒�

Wantke had been with ERT for four months at the time.

Rowe, the second officer to enter the room, fired his gun. He too recalled the terrifying scene, testifying Friday (April 19) during a coronersa国际传媒檚 inquest into the deaths of Crosson and McEwan, 45, both killed by police during the March 29, 2019 hostage-taking in the Whalley house she rented.

Coroner Margaret Janzen is presiding over the inquest in Burnaby, at Coronerssa国际传媒� Court. Itsa国际传媒檚 expected to run for two weeks, with a jury of four women and a man hearing testimony.

Urgency and stress were clear in Rowesa国际传媒檚 voice as he recounted the horror.

Smoke and debris hung in the air from the strip charge police used to blast the bedroom door open. A stream of light shone through the window onto the bed. Crosson was sa国际传媒渟eated upsa国际传媒� in the darkness at the corner of the bed, with McEwan on top of him, and he was holding her around her neck.

sa国际传媒淚 could see the movements of Miss McEwansa国际传媒檚 hair,sa国际传媒� Rowe said. sa国际传媒淚 knew that I had to get closer.sa国际传媒�

Crosson pointed his gun at Rowesa国际传媒檚 partners. sa国际传媒淚 see his eyes and he has determined, angry, rage-filled, eyes as he starts pointing out towards my partners. I know now that theresa国际传媒檚 a bunch of debris in the doorway which has started to tangle in my feet. Isa国际传媒檓 trying to now get to that contact shot as Isa国际传媒檝e seen this change. I now realize that I cansa国际传媒檛 get to that, but I have to do something in order to stop this threat. I believe that Miss McEwansa国际传媒檚 on top of him, as the shield, I take this as a chance to twist and shoot under and hit him in such a way that it will change his behaviour. As I fire, Isa国际传媒檓 starting to go down from all the debris Isa国际传媒檝e been caught up in, the weight of my vest and helmet take me down, and in that instant theresa国际传媒檚 a moment of fabric and everything which becomes in my view which hadnsa国际传媒檛 been, and I cansa国际传媒檛 understand what happened. At that point I come to rest on the corner of the bed.sa国际传媒�

Multiple rounds are going off. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 stuck on that corner of the bed, laying partially down against it.sa国际传媒�

The firing stops but sa国际传媒渢he yelling and screaming and everything continues, Isa国际传媒檓 grabbed, people believe Isa国际传媒檓 shot.sa国际传媒�

Rowe got pulled out of the room, taken out of the house through the front and to a vehicle. sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 see what has happened and transpired within the room, I donsa国际传媒檛 know the status of Miss McEwan, Mr. Crosson or my teammates at that point.sa国际传媒�

Rowe said he fired two rounds. Asked how many gunshots he heard, Rowe told the inquest sa国际传媒渄ozens, there was probably more than 30 rounds firedsa国际传媒� from different firearms.

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. The standoff saw roughly two dozen police vehicles, as well as an armoured vehicle, descend on the home in a cul-de-sac near 132A Street and 100A Avenue.

Both officers were asked if the phenomenon of sympathetic fire occurred, when officers shoot because others are. sa国际传媒淣o, absolutely not,sa国际传媒� Wantke told the jury.

Rowe said he couldnsa国际传媒檛 speak to what the other officers did. sa国际传媒淚 know what I saw and what I reacted to, I donsa国际传媒檛 know what their risk assessment was at that point or what they saw, so I cansa国际传媒檛 speak to that, no.sa国际传媒�

The inquest continues.