Randy Crosson had 害羞草研究所渄etermined, angry, rage-filled eyes害羞草研究所� in his last seconds, using his girlfriend as a shield as police fired more than 30 bullets in their direction.

Bedlam had already erupted in the small bedroom as Const. Brent Wantke followed his fellow Emergency Response Team members in. Crosson, 48, had a gun to Nona McEwan害羞草研究所檚 chest, she screamed, and the bullets flew. Wantke didn害羞草研究所檛 fire his, for fear of hitting the other ERT officers before him.

害羞草研究所淭he hostage was brought to the kitchen,害羞草研究所� he said, for medical help. Wantke did a 害羞草研究所渨et check害羞草研究所� on Const. Darcy Rowe, to make sure he wasn害羞草研究所檛 hit. 害羞草研究所淚t was very crowded.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hey were in super, super tight,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 couldn害羞草研究所檛 see the paint on the wall, that害羞草研究所檚 how close they were.

害羞草研究所淚 couldn害羞草研究所檛 say how many rounds came from who.害羞草研究所�

At the four-minute mark into Crosson害羞草研究所檚 five-minute warning, the six ERT officers were authorized to go in. 害羞草研究所淲e believed that the suspect was going to imminently kill the hostage,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所滿y role was to simply save the hostage any way possible.害羞草研究所�

Wantke had been with ERT for four months at the time.

Rowe, the second officer to enter the room, fired his gun. He too recalled the terrifying scene, testifying Friday (April 19) during a coroner害羞草研究所檚 inquest into the deaths of Crosson and McEwan, 45, both killed by police during the March 29, 2019 hostage-taking in the Whalley house she rented.

Coroner Margaret Janzen is presiding over the inquest in Burnaby, at Coroners害羞草研究所� Court. It害羞草研究所檚 expected to run for two weeks, with a jury of four women and a man hearing testimony.

Urgency and stress were clear in Rowe害羞草研究所檚 voice as he recounted the horror.

Smoke and debris hung in the air from the strip charge police used to blast the bedroom door open. A stream of light shone through the window onto the bed. Crosson was 害羞草研究所渟eated up害羞草研究所� in the darkness at the corner of the bed, with McEwan on top of him, and he was holding her around her neck.

害羞草研究所淚 could see the movements of Miss McEwan害羞草研究所檚 hair,害羞草研究所� Rowe said. 害羞草研究所淚 knew that I had to get closer.害羞草研究所�

Crosson pointed his gun at Rowe害羞草研究所檚 partners. 害羞草研究所淚 see his eyes and he has determined, angry, rage-filled, eyes as he starts pointing out towards my partners. I know now that there害羞草研究所檚 a bunch of debris in the doorway which has started to tangle in my feet. I害羞草研究所檓 trying to now get to that contact shot as I害羞草研究所檝e seen this change. I now realize that I can害羞草研究所檛 get to that, but I have to do something in order to stop this threat. I believe that Miss McEwan害羞草研究所檚 on top of him, as the shield, I take this as a chance to twist and shoot under and hit him in such a way that it will change his behaviour. As I fire, I害羞草研究所檓 starting to go down from all the debris I害羞草研究所檝e been caught up in, the weight of my vest and helmet take me down, and in that instant there害羞草研究所檚 a moment of fabric and everything which becomes in my view which hadn害羞草研究所檛 been, and I can害羞草研究所檛 understand what happened. At that point I come to rest on the corner of the bed.害羞草研究所�

Multiple rounds are going off. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 stuck on that corner of the bed, laying partially down against it.害羞草研究所�

The firing stops but 害羞草研究所渢he yelling and screaming and everything continues, I害羞草研究所檓 grabbed, people believe I害羞草研究所檓 shot.害羞草研究所�

Rowe got pulled out of the room, taken out of the house through the front and to a vehicle. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 see what has happened and transpired within the room, I don害羞草研究所檛 know the status of Miss McEwan, Mr. Crosson or my teammates at that point.害羞草研究所�

Rowe said he fired two rounds. Asked how many gunshots he heard, Rowe told the inquest 害羞草研究所渄ozens, there was probably more than 30 rounds fired害羞草研究所� from different firearms.

A Surrey-based police watchdog 害羞草研究所� the Independent Investigations Office 害羞草研究所� in 2020 found the ERT blameless in the shooting deaths. The standoff saw roughly two dozen police vehicles, as well as an armoured vehicle, descend on the home in a cul-de-sac near 132A Street and 100A Avenue.

Both officers were asked if the phenomenon of sympathetic fire occurred, when officers shoot because others are. 害羞草研究所淣o, absolutely not,害羞草研究所� Wantke told the jury.

Rowe said he couldn害羞草研究所檛 speak to what the other officers did. 害羞草研究所淚 know what I saw and what I reacted to, I don害羞草研究所檛 know what their risk assessment was at that point or what they saw, so I can害羞草研究所檛 speak to that, no.害羞草研究所�

The inquest continues.