A young woman who lived downstairs in a Whalley home rented by Nona McEwan told a coroner害羞草研究所檚 inquest Tuesday that the shooting victim害羞草研究所檚 boyfriend Randy Crosson, who was also shot dead by police, 害羞草研究所渨asn害羞草研究所檛 a nice person.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淗e terrorized me, quite frankly.害羞草研究所�
She told the inquest Crosson 害羞草研究所渨as always yelling and he was up all night-doing weird things.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所� Court, on the 20th floor of Metrotower II, with Coroner Margaret Janzen presiding.
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 RCMP害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所渨hat appeared to be害羞草研究所� a gun in his hand. Forensic police later found a 害羞草研究所渞ealistic-looking害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a helicopter at your house, are you OK?害羞草研究所� but she wasn害羞草研究所檛 home at the time.
害羞草研究所淚 really liked Nona,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淪he was firstly very kind and she was extremely caring to everyone that was in her life害羞草研究所 saw her as a motherly figure, she really cared about all of our well-being.害羞草研究所�
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 害羞草研究所渄idn害羞草研究所檛 seem realistic害羞草研究所� but police later found on their database an outstanding warrant for Crosson害羞草研究所檚 arrest.
害羞草研究所淩andy is known to have guns and use them, albeit on birds.害羞草研究所�
Payete said police tried to phone into the house, but the calls weren害羞草研究所檛 answered.
害羞草研究所淭here was no noise from the house at all,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淐omplete silence.害羞草研究所�
They then used the public address system on a police vehicle. Still no response from within the house, the police then 害羞草研究所渂anged害羞草研究所� on the side of the house. 害羞草研究所淭here was a real possibility there was nobody inside.害羞草研究所�
Because of the report about a gun, and possible gunshot heard, the ERT was called in, Payette said, and they 害羞草研究所渁rrive in waves,害羞草研究所� with negotiators in tow. By this time roughly 90 minutes had passed.
Asked if there害羞草研究所檚 anything he thinks could have been done differently, resulting in a different outcome, Payette said he was spent 害羞草研究所渃onsiderable害羞草研究所� time pondering that question over the past five years. 害羞草研究所淭his was obviously one of the more difficult nights in my career and I害羞草研究所檓 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害羞草研究所� related to the possible gunshot or scream.
The IIO concluded McEwan died because of Crosson害羞草研究所檚 actions, as he held her against her will in her home, threatened her life, 害羞草研究所渁nd provoked an armed response from the police aimed at saving her.害羞草研究所� His actions, the IIO害羞草研究所檚 Chief Civilian Director Ron MacDonald said, 害羞草研究所渕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.害羞草研究所�
Accordingly, he found, 害羞草研究所淚 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.害羞草研究所�
The IIO operates out of Bing Thom害羞草研究所檚 Central City tower in Whalley and reports to B.C.害羞草研究所檚 attorney general.
MacDonald noted his report was based, in part, on the statements of 25 害羞草研究所渃ivilian害羞草研究所� 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.
