Corporal Andrew Michaud figured he and at least two other police officers would die once they blasted open a bedroom door with a strip charge and rushed inside, knowing a suicidal hostage-taker with a gun was waiting for them on the other side, aiming to kill his girlfriend and them too.

Michaud is a sa国际传媒渂reacher,sa国际传媒� in charge of getting fellow Emergency Response Team police into places with lockpickers, chainsaws and explosives in his arsenal. He testified Friday (April 19) during a coronersa国际传媒檚 inquest into the deaths of Randy Crosson, 48, and Nona McEwan, 45, both killed by police during the March 29, 2019 hostage-taking in the Whalley house she rented. Crosson used her as a human shield, the inquest heard.

sa国际传媒淚 just pictured us going in and just getting shot and us just falling like dominoes,sa国际传媒� he said, sharing the psychology of the situation.

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.

The ERT officers took their place outside the small bedroom, with the first in line gripping a shield.

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 three times in my career where Isa国际传媒檝e gone through the door and expected to be killed, and this was one of them,sa国际传媒� Michaud told the jury. sa国际传媒淭his is the second. The first time I was not in charge, I was one of the people going through, and itsa国际传媒檚 a very weird feeling that as soon as this door opens Isa国际传媒檓 going to get shot, and do I get killed? I donsa国际传媒檛 know.sa国际传媒�

Crosson had already pointed a gun at the armoured vehicle outside and declared: sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a good day to die,sa国际传媒� Michaud recalled. sa国际传媒淗e wants to kill police, gave me a one-hour timeline. He knew in one hour we were going to make that decision. But now, he decides to say sa国际传媒榊ou have five minutes.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 know whatsa国际传媒檚 on the other end of the door,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 know what wesa国际传媒檙e going to face inside. What I do know is that wesa国际传媒檙e going to go in sa国际传媒� wesa国际传媒檙e going in under his terms sa国际传媒� he knows in five minutes or less wesa国际传媒檙e going to come through that door and wesa国际传媒檙e going to come at him, and he has a hostage in there.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淚 said, sa国际传媒榃ell, wesa国际传媒檙e going to take rounds going through this door,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� Michaud said. sa国际传媒淭he time is ticking.sa国际传媒�

The officer with the shield took his position. sa国际传媒淚 said to him, sa国际传媒榊ousa国际传媒檙e number one.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�

After a lengthy pause, Michaud continued.

sa国际传媒淢e saying that to him, that was my goodbye. Yousa国际传媒檙e going to get shot, yousa国际传媒檙e going to get killed. But yousa国际传媒檙e going to take rounds on that shield, yousa国际传媒檙e going to push in, and wesa国际传媒檙e going to get now five feet close.

sa国际传媒淲hen you go down,sa国际传媒� he said, remembering looking at the second officer, sa国际传媒測ousa国际传媒檙e number two. Yousa国际传媒檙e also going to die. I donsa国际传媒檛 say it.sa国际传媒�

After the first cop went down, he anticipated, the second would be sa国际传媒渢he fresh guysa国际传媒� pushing forward.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 expecting that hesa国际传媒檚 ready for war,sa国际传媒� he said of Crosson.

Michaud said in his mind after number two gets killed, there will be number three and number four and number five. sa国际传媒淢aybe even number three is going to take rounds, I donsa国际传媒檛 know. But at least, up to that point, I know wesa国际传媒檒l be able to respond.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淓verybody on that team was aware of exactly what needed to happen.sa国际传媒�

The inquest continues.