Nothing could be done to save Nona McEwan乌鸦传媒檚 life, an ER physician at Royal Columbian Hospital testified Monday.
乌鸦传媒淣o, unfortunately,乌鸦传媒� Dr. Pearlly Ng replied, asked if her condition was survivable.
Ng was called as a witness at a coroner乌鸦传媒檚 inquest into the deaths of Randy Crosson, 48, and Nona McEwan, 45, both killed by police bullets during a March 29, 2019 hostage-taking in the Whalley house McEwan rented. Crosson used McEwan as a human shield, the inquest heard.
乌鸦传媒淒uring the transportation she unfortunately lost her vital signs,乌鸦传媒� Ng said. The paramedics had started CPR and notified the hospital they were 10 minutes away. Ng activated the trauma team and contacted the blood bank to initiate the 乌鸦传媒渕assive transfusion protocol, anticipating that I would receive a patient who had sustained a large amount of blood loss.乌鸦传媒�
When McEwan arrived, they were unable to regain a pulse, and her time of death was declared at 8:18 a.m. She乌鸦传媒檇 lost consciousness at 7:33 a.m. She was shot at 7:25 a.m., the inquest heard.
乌鸦传媒淚 think they did everything they could on scene,乌鸦传媒� Ng said, 乌鸦传媒渂ased on the information I was provided.乌鸦传媒�
Royal Columbian, at 330 East Columbia St. in New Westminster, is a Level 1 trauma centre, Ng noted. 乌鸦传媒淪o we regularly see people that have sustained gunshot wounds.乌鸦传媒�
McEwan was shot twice, in her right arm and right abdomen.
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.
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 on the way to hospital.
Cpl. Luke Johnston, a 乌鸦传媒渂reacher乌鸦传媒� with the Emergency Response Team since 2011, also testified on Monday. He said he乌鸦传媒檇 been deployed 500 乌鸦传媒渙r so乌鸦传媒� times 乌鸦传媒� about 50 per year 乌鸦传媒� on ERT calls before March 29, 2019. He set the charge to blow open the bedroom door to get to the couple. The risk assessment, he said, 乌鸦传媒渨as extreme.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 about as high as I think I could go in my risk assessment in my career so far.乌鸦传媒�
Johnston said he fired four rounds at the centre of Crosson乌鸦传媒檚 abdomen.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 a initial volley of gunfire that I hear,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 not sure if he乌鸦传媒檚 firing back at us, perhaps firing a number of rounds at us, I乌鸦传媒檓 not sure if some or our guys are down at this point, but there乌鸦传媒檚 this initial volley.乌鸦传媒�
Crosson was on the bed, and in his left hand was a pistol with a closed grip on it.
乌鸦传媒淚 see Miss McEwan, who is there, and this is all in close proximity, but then I say something to the effect of let乌鸦传媒檚 get her out. Like let乌鸦传媒檚 get her out.乌鸦传媒�
She had 乌鸦传媒渒ind of a startled look on her face,乌鸦传媒� Johnston said. 乌鸦传媒淟ike a look of shock. We moved her from there, I think I grabbed one of her legs, but we moved her to the kitchen area,乌鸦传媒� where the medical assessment began.乌鸦传媒�
Johnston was questioned about sympathetic fire, also known as 乌鸦传媒渃ontagion乌鸦传媒� fire, where under high stress police start shooting because other police are.
Asked if that乌鸦传媒檚 what happened here, Johnston replied no. 乌鸦传媒淚 perceived Mr. Crosson to, or the suspect in this case, to essentially have a firearm in their hand, and based on the movement of the hand and the gun, my interpretation was, or could be, essentially cause us harm at any point in time, and that乌鸦传媒檚 how I essentially formed my opinion and made the decision to engage with him at that point in time.乌鸦传媒�
The inquest continues.
