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 含羞草研究社渂reacher,含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淚 just pictured us going in and just getting shot and us just falling like dominoes,含羞草研究社� he said, sharing the psychology of the situation.
Coroner Margaret Janzen is presiding over the inquest in Burnaby, at Coroners含羞草研究社� Court. 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.
The ERT officers took their place outside the small bedroom, with the first in line gripping a shield.
含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 three times in my career where I含羞草研究社檝e gone through the door and expected to be killed, and this was one of them,含羞草研究社� Michaud told the jury. 含羞草研究社淭his is the second. The first time I was not in charge, I was one of the people going through, and it含羞草研究社檚 a very weird feeling that as soon as this door opens I含羞草研究社檓 going to get shot, and do I get killed? I don含羞草研究社檛 know.含羞草研究社�
Crosson had already pointed a gun at the armoured vehicle outside and declared: 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a good day to die,含羞草研究社� Michaud recalled. 含羞草研究社淗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 含羞草研究社榊ou have five minutes.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 know what含羞草研究社檚 on the other end of the door,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 know what we含羞草研究社檙e going to face inside. What I do know is that we含羞草研究社檙e going to go in 含羞草研究社� we含羞草研究社檙e going in under his terms 含羞草研究社� he knows in five minutes or less we含羞草研究社檙e going to come through that door and we含羞草研究社檙e going to come at him, and he has a hostage in there.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 said, 含羞草研究社榃ell, we含羞草研究社檙e going to take rounds going through this door,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Michaud said. 含羞草研究社淭he time is ticking.含羞草研究社�
The officer with the shield took his position. 含羞草研究社淚 said to him, 含羞草研究社榊ou含羞草研究社檙e number one.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
After a lengthy pause, Michaud continued.
含羞草研究社淢e saying that to him, that was my goodbye. You含羞草研究社檙e going to get shot, you含羞草研究社檙e going to get killed. But you含羞草研究社檙e going to take rounds on that shield, you含羞草研究社檙e going to push in, and we含羞草研究社檙e going to get now five feet close.
含羞草研究社淲hen you go down,含羞草研究社� he said, remembering looking at the second officer, 含羞草研究社測ou含羞草研究社檙e number two. You含羞草研究社檙e also going to die. I don含羞草研究社檛 say it.含羞草研究社�
After the first cop went down, he anticipated, the second would be 含羞草研究社渢he fresh guy含羞草研究社� pushing forward.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 expecting that he含羞草研究社檚 ready for war,含羞草研究社� 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. 含羞草研究社淢aybe even number three is going to take rounds, I don含羞草研究社檛 know. But at least, up to that point, I know we含羞草研究社檒l be able to respond.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淓verybody on that team was aware of exactly what needed to happen.含羞草研究社�
The inquest continues.
