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 乌鸦传媒渂reacher,乌鸦传媒� 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 coroner乌鸦传媒檚 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.
乌鸦传媒淚 just pictured us going in and just getting shot and us just falling like dominoes,乌鸦传媒� he said, sharing the psychology of the situation.
Coroner Margaret Janzen is presiding over the inquest in Burnaby, at Coroners乌鸦传媒� Court. It乌鸦传媒檚 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.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 three times in my career where I乌鸦传媒檝e gone through the door and expected to be killed, and this was one of them,乌鸦传媒� Michaud told the jury. 乌鸦传媒淭his is the second. The first time I was not in charge, I was one of the people going through, and it乌鸦传媒檚 a very weird feeling that as soon as this door opens I乌鸦传媒檓 going to get shot, and do I get killed? I don乌鸦传媒檛 know.乌鸦传媒�
Crosson had already pointed a gun at the armoured vehicle outside and declared: 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a good day to die,乌鸦传媒� Michaud recalled. 乌鸦传媒淗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 乌鸦传媒榊ou have five minutes.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 know what乌鸦传媒檚 on the other end of the door,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 know what we乌鸦传媒檙e going to face inside. What I do know is that we乌鸦传媒檙e going to go in 乌鸦传媒� we乌鸦传媒檙e going in under his terms 乌鸦传媒� he knows in five minutes or less we乌鸦传媒檙e going to come through that door and we乌鸦传媒檙e going to come at him, and he has a hostage in there.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚 said, 乌鸦传媒榃ell, we乌鸦传媒檙e going to take rounds going through this door,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 Michaud said. 乌鸦传媒淭he time is ticking.乌鸦传媒�
The officer with the shield took his position. 乌鸦传媒淚 said to him, 乌鸦传媒榊ou乌鸦传媒檙e number one.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
After a lengthy pause, Michaud continued.
乌鸦传媒淢e saying that to him, that was my goodbye. You乌鸦传媒檙e going to get shot, you乌鸦传媒檙e going to get killed. But you乌鸦传媒檙e going to take rounds on that shield, you乌鸦传媒檙e going to push in, and we乌鸦传媒檙e going to get now five feet close.
乌鸦传媒淲hen you go down,乌鸦传媒� he said, remembering looking at the second officer, 乌鸦传媒測ou乌鸦传媒檙e number two. You乌鸦传媒檙e also going to die. I don乌鸦传媒檛 say it.乌鸦传媒�
After the first cop went down, he anticipated, the second would be 乌鸦传媒渢he fresh guy乌鸦传媒� pushing forward.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 expecting that he乌鸦传媒檚 ready for war,乌鸦传媒� 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. 乌鸦传媒淢aybe even number three is going to take rounds, I don乌鸦传媒檛 know. But at least, up to that point, I know we乌鸦传媒檒l be able to respond.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淓verybody on that team was aware of exactly what needed to happen.乌鸦传媒�
The inquest continues.
