An RCMP incident that ended in the deaths of a Surrey couple in 2019 was 乌鸦传媒渉eart-wrenching乌鸦传媒� for all involved, the RCMP乌鸦传媒檚 critical incident commander told a coroner乌鸦传媒檚 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.

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

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

乌鸦传媒淚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. There乌鸦传媒檚 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 wasn乌鸦传媒檛 the case, she was deceased,乌鸦传媒� White told the inquest. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 heart-wrenching. I feel for the family, feel for the members, feel for the neighbourhood.乌鸦传媒�

A Surrey-based police watchdog 乌鸦传媒� the Independent Investigations Office 乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渨hat appeared to be乌鸦传媒� a gun in his hand. Forensic police later found a 乌鸦传媒渞ealistic-looking乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渢ransition in乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渇rozen zone乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渓oud bang heard乌鸦传媒� coming from the residence. 乌鸦传媒淭here was a potential that a bear-banger was thrown out at the police from inside the residence.乌鸦传媒�

At 2:51 a.m., White recalled, 乌鸦传媒淚 changed the mission.乌鸦传媒�

Initially it was to check on McEwan and arrest Crosson, but added to this was now responding to a weapons charge and 乌鸦传媒減otentially乌鸦传媒� unlawful confinement.

乌鸦传媒淣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.乌鸦传媒�

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 乌鸦传媒渙r chemical munitions plan乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渢o try to suppress the fire, number one, and gain compliance and hopefully cooperation, number two.乌鸦传媒�

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 乌鸦传媒渋nner perimeter乌鸦传媒� confirmed they heard a female voice inside the house saying she was OK. A robot was sent to deliver a mobile or 乌鸦传媒渢hrow phone乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒減ulled a gun on someone.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭hat was voiced out to all the members in the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter.乌鸦传媒�

At 4:30 a.m., White was told the robot wasn乌鸦传媒檛 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. McEwan乌鸦传媒檚 family told police she would come out if she could and that she乌鸦传媒檇 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. 乌鸦传媒淭he words were believed to be either shooting, or shoot me.乌鸦传媒� At 6:27 a.m. White learned of a message sent at 3:15 a.m. saying 乌鸦传媒渢ell those pigs to leave my house or I乌鸦传媒檓 come out and shoot them.乌鸦传媒�

At 6:57 a.m. the robot heard from the male voice, 乌鸦传媒淵ou have an hour or I乌鸦传媒檓 going to kill her.乌鸦传媒�

At 7:10 a.m. 乌鸦传媒渆xplosive forced entry乌鸦传媒� was discussed, using a 乌鸦传媒渃alculated amount of explosions to gain entry into a crisis point.乌鸦传媒� White approved this for a window and door. 乌鸦传媒淚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.乌鸦传媒�

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 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 ready for you in five minutes.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淗aving been given an hour countdown and now receiving that information,乌鸦传媒� White told the inquest, 乌鸦传媒渙bviously the adherence to time made me believe that this wasn乌鸦传媒檛 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.乌鸦传媒�

Crosson 乌鸦传媒榳anted to die乌鸦传媒�: 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 乌鸦传媒渨anted to die.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淎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,乌鸦传媒� he said. To do an assault into that room, the ERT would have given Crosson 乌鸦传媒渁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.

乌鸦传媒淎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.乌鸦传媒�

At 7:24 a.m. multiple shots were fired. White could tell it was two different calibres 乌鸦传媒渏ust by the magnitude of the audible gunshots.乌鸦传媒� At 7:25 a.m. he was notified Crosson 乌鸦传媒渨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.乌鸦传媒�

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. 乌鸦传媒淎t 7:53 Surrey Major Crimes attended the scene and I was relieved of duty.乌鸦传媒�

McEwan died because of Crosson乌鸦传媒檚 actions, IIO found

The IIO concluded McEwan died because of Crosson乌鸦传媒檚 actions, as he held her against her will in her home, threatened her life, 乌鸦传媒渁nd provoked an armed response from the police aimed at saving her.乌鸦传媒� His actions, the IIO乌鸦传媒檚 chief civilian director Ron MacDonald said, 乌鸦传媒渕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.乌鸦传媒�

Accordingly, he found, 乌鸦传媒淚 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.乌鸦传媒�

The IIO operates out of Bing Thom乌鸦传媒檚 Central City tower in Whalley and reports to B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 attorney general.

MacDonald noted his report was based, in part, on the statements of 25 乌鸦传媒渃ivilian乌鸦传媒� 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 he乌鸦传媒檚 lost 乌鸦传媒渟ubjects,乌鸦传媒� but added, 乌鸦传媒淚 can honestly say that乌鸦传媒檚 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.乌鸦传媒�