A young woman who lived downstairs in a Whalley home rented by Nona McEwan told a coroner含羞草研究社檚 inquest Tuesday that the shooting victim含羞草研究社檚 boyfriend Randy Crosson, who was also shot dead by police, 含羞草研究社渨asn含羞草研究社檛 a nice person.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淗e terrorized me, quite frankly.含羞草研究社�
She told the inquest Crosson 含羞草研究社渨as always yelling and he was up all night-doing weird things.含羞草研究社�
The inquest into the deaths of the Surrey couple killed by police during a hostage-taking in Whalley on March 29, 2019 opened 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.
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 of Nona Marnie McEwan, 45, and her boyfriend Crosson, 48, 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.
The tenant, who lived at the house for nine months, said her father phoned her, saying 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 a helicopter at your house, are you OK?含羞草研究社� but she wasn含羞草研究社檛 home at the time.
含羞草研究社淚 really liked Nona,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淪he was firstly very kind and she was extremely caring to everyone that was in her life含羞草研究社 saw her as a motherly figure, she really cared about all of our well-being.含羞草研究社�
Surrey Police Service Sgt. Chris Payete, who in 2019 was a Surrey RCMP corporal road supervisor, said he responded to a dispatch call at roughly 10 p.m. about a man with a gun. He said the information 含羞草研究社渄idn含羞草研究社檛 seem realistic含羞草研究社� but police later found on their database an outstanding warrant for Crosson含羞草研究社檚 arrest.
含羞草研究社淩andy is known to have guns and use them, albeit on birds.含羞草研究社�
Payete said police tried to phone into the house, but the calls weren含羞草研究社檛 answered.
含羞草研究社淭here was no noise from the house at all,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淐omplete silence.含羞草研究社�
They then used the public address system on a police vehicle. Still no response from within the house, the police then 含羞草研究社渂anged含羞草研究社� on the side of the house. 含羞草研究社淭here was a real possibility there was nobody inside.含羞草研究社�
Because of the report about a gun, and possible gunshot heard, the ERT was called in, Payette said, and they 含羞草研究社渁rrive in waves,含羞草研究社� with negotiators in tow. By this time roughly 90 minutes had passed.
Asked if there含羞草研究社檚 anything he thinks could have been done differently, resulting in a different outcome, Payette said he was spent 含羞草研究社渃onsiderable含羞草研究社� time pondering that question over the past five years. 含羞草研究社淭his was obviously one of the more difficult nights in my career and I含羞草研究社檓 on the low, very, very low end of being impacted by this. It would have been really great to know the real, the truth of how this started earlier on in the incident含羞草研究社� related to the possible gunshot or scream.
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.
The inquest is expected to run for two weeks.
