An RCMP incident that ended in the deaths of a Surrey couple in 2019 was 含羞草研究社渉eart-wrenching含羞草研究社� for all involved, the RCMP含羞草研究社檚 critical incident commander told a coroner含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淭his was the hardest call I ever did,含羞草研究社� said White, since retired. 含羞草研究社淭his will be with all of us forever.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淚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含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 the case, she was deceased,含羞草研究社� White told the inquest. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 heart-wrenching. I feel for the family, feel for the members, feel for the neighbourhood.含羞草研究社�

A Surrey-based police watchdog 含羞草研究社� the Independent Investigations Office 含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渨hat appeared to be含羞草研究社� a gun in his hand. Forensic police later found a 含羞草研究社渞ealistic-looking含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渢ransition in含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渇rozen zone含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渓oud bang heard含羞草研究社� coming from the residence. 含羞草研究社淭here was a potential that a bear-banger was thrown out at the police from inside the residence.含羞草研究社�

At 2:51 a.m., White recalled, 含羞草研究社淚 changed the mission.含羞草研究社�

Initially it was to check on McEwan and arrest Crosson, but added to this was now responding to a weapons charge and 含羞草研究社減otentially含羞草研究社� unlawful confinement.

含羞草研究社淣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.含羞草研究社�

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 含羞草研究社渙r chemical munitions plan含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渢o try to suppress the fire, number one, and gain compliance and hopefully cooperation, number two.含羞草研究社�

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 含羞草研究社渋nner perimeter含羞草研究社� confirmed they heard a female voice inside the house saying she was OK. A robot was sent to deliver a mobile or 含羞草研究社渢hrow phone含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社減ulled a gun on someone.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭hat was voiced out to all the members in the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter.含羞草研究社�

At 4:30 a.m., White was told the robot wasn含羞草研究社檛 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含羞草研究社檚 family told police she would come out if she could and that she含羞草研究社檇 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. 含羞草研究社淭he words were believed to be either shooting, or shoot me.含羞草研究社� At 6:27 a.m. White learned of a message sent at 3:15 a.m. saying 含羞草研究社渢ell those pigs to leave my house or I含羞草研究社檓 come out and shoot them.含羞草研究社�

At 6:57 a.m. the robot heard from the male voice, 含羞草研究社淵ou have an hour or I含羞草研究社檓 going to kill her.含羞草研究社�

At 7:10 a.m. 含羞草研究社渆xplosive forced entry含羞草研究社� was discussed, using a 含羞草研究社渃alculated amount of explosions to gain entry into a crisis point.含羞草研究社� White approved this for a window and door. 含羞草研究社淚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.含羞草研究社�

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 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 ready for you in five minutes.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淗aving been given an hour countdown and now receiving that information,含羞草研究社� White told the inquest, 含羞草研究社渙bviously the adherence to time made me believe that this wasn含羞草研究社檛 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.含羞草研究社�

Crosson 含羞草研究社榳anted to die含羞草研究社�: 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 含羞草研究社渨anted to die.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淎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,含羞草研究社� he said. To do an assault into that room, the ERT would have given Crosson 含羞草研究社渁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.

含羞草研究社淎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.含羞草研究社�

At 7:24 a.m. multiple shots were fired. White could tell it was two different calibres 含羞草研究社渏ust by the magnitude of the audible gunshots.含羞草研究社� At 7:25 a.m. he was notified Crosson 含羞草研究社渨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.含羞草研究社�

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. 含羞草研究社淎t 7:53 Surrey Major Crimes attended the scene and I was relieved of duty.含羞草研究社�

McEwan died because of Crosson含羞草研究社檚 actions, IIO found

The IIO concluded McEwan died because of Crosson含羞草研究社檚 actions, as he held her against her will in her home, threatened her life, 含羞草研究社渁nd provoked an armed response from the police aimed at saving her.含羞草研究社� His actions, the IIO含羞草研究社檚 chief civilian director Ron MacDonald said, 含羞草研究社渕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.含羞草研究社�

Accordingly, he found, 含羞草研究社淚 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.含羞草研究社�

The IIO operates out of Bing Thom含羞草研究社檚 Central City tower in Whalley and reports to B.C.含羞草研究社檚 attorney general.

MacDonald noted his report was based, in part, on the statements of 25 含羞草研究社渃ivilian含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 lost 含羞草研究社渟ubjects,含羞草研究社� but added, 含羞草研究社淚 can honestly say that含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�