A coroner含羞草研究社檚 inquest jury has made seven recommendations after hearing two weeks of testimony into the shooting deaths of Randy Crosson, 48, and Nona McEwan, 45, both killed by Emergency Response Team police during a March 29, 2019 hostage-taking in the Whalley house she rented.
Crosson held his girlfriend McEwan hostage and used her as a human shield, the inquest heard.
Coroner Margaret Janzen presided over the inquest in Burnaby, at Coroners含羞草研究社� Court, with a jury of four women and a man on April 25 turning in a verdict classifying both deaths as homicides resulting from multiple gunshot wounds.
In McEwan含羞草研究社檚 case, the jury made no recommendations but presented seven related to Crosson, including four to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, two to RCMP E Division and one to E-Comm 9-1-1.
The jury recommended to the ministry that it 含羞草研究社減rovide extended training to probation officers in mental health disorders and addictions; review and develop mental health agency relationships/partnerships with health authorities and other agencies to provide additional tools and supports to probation officers and their clients; conduct coroner含羞草研究社檚 inquests in a timely manner; and capture by audio, visual, and other means events involving Emergency Response Team members.含羞草研究社�
To the RCMP E Division, the jury recommended it 含羞草研究社渃reate and implement positions for full-time negotiators to be scheduled in a manner that ensures a full team is available, without delay, and in a manner that provides for training in accordance with recognized and emerging standards含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社渆nsure that the Emergency Response Team has access to explosive devices without delay.含羞草研究社�
Further, it recommended that E-Comm 9-1-1 含羞草研究社渆nsure call-takers are trained to play back recorded 911 calls related to critical incidents to crisis negotiation teams for proper triage, assessment, and further action.含羞草研究社�
A senior bureaucrat in the provincial government testified April 23 that nothing could have been done differently by authorities in their dealings with Randy Crosson that would have saved Nona McEwan含羞草研究社檚 life.
含羞草研究社淔rom the perspective of our responsibility, no, I really don含羞草研究社檛 think there was,含羞草研究社� said Simon Glen, deputy provincial director for B.C. community corrections in the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. 含羞草研究社淥ur clients do bad things, and every time that happens we look and see were there opportunities, were there learnings, and it含羞草研究社檚 really easy in hindsight when you know the eventual outcome to sort-of say yes, we could have made this decision differently or we could have done something differently.
含羞草研究社淲hen I look at this case, even knowing the eventual outcome, I don含羞草研究社檛 see decisions that we could have made differently that would have resulted in anything different.含羞草研究社�
Glen is responsible for oversight of all probation officers across the province.
Probation officer Rob Ryhorchuk testified that he was assigned to Crosson含羞草研究社檚 case in 2015 after Crosson was convicted of robbery. Crosson含羞草研究社檚 criminal history began in 1996, primarily involving break-ins, theft, assault, carrying a weapon and numerous convictions for failing to comply with court orders.
In 2003, he was convicted of assaulting McEwan and released on probation. 含羞草研究社淗is explanation of the offence to his supervising probation officer at that point was that he threw a sandwich,含羞草研究社� Ryhorchuk tetified.
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 RCMP含羞草研究社檚 Emergency Response Team (ERT) blameless in the shooting deaths. The standoff saw roughly two dozen police vehicles, as well as an armoured vehicle, surround her 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 on the way to hospital.
Ron MacDonald, chief civilian director of the IIO, also testified April 23 at the inquest.
含羞草研究社淭he circumstances that were in play, it含羞草研究社檚 understandable that they took the action they did. In hindsight, was there other ways to do it? The key there, though, is the clock含羞草研究社檚 ticking, but they had basically run out of time,含羞草研究社� he told the coroner and jury.
含羞草研究社淭he time limit that he artificially created made a lot of difference, and then it went from the hour down to the five minutes down to like two minutes, one can understand that the action they took, why they took it. In that sense, I can含羞草研究社檛 say it was unreasonable.含羞草研究社�
That Crosson had a replica gun was immaterial to the outcome, MacDonald opined.
含羞草研究社淗e knew what he was doing was wrong,含羞草研究社� he testified. 含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 the one that caused her death. 含羞草研究社� The fact that it wasn含羞草研究社檛 a real gun was immaterial. It looked like a real gun, he was talking about it like a gun. He had previously set off a bear-banger which made it seem like he had a gun.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚n an ideal world, not as many shots would have been taken,含羞草研究社� MacDonald told the inquest. 含羞草研究社淭hey didn含羞草研究社檛 have a choice, they had to go in.含羞草研究社�
MacDonald concluded in his 2020 investigation that 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, 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�
