The Emergency Response Team cop who drove an RCMP tactical armoured vehicle during a fatal stand-off in Whalley five years ago told a coroner害羞草研究所檚 inquest what it was like to be in harm害羞草研究所檚 way.

Sgt. Kyle Kuharski testified Wednesday (April 17) at the inquest into the deaths of Nona Marnie McEwan, 45, and her boyfriend Randy Crosson, 48 who were killed by police on March 29, 2019. Crosson was holding McEwan hostage at the time.

害羞草研究所淚t was broadcast that a firearm was pointed out of the window at the front of the residence, and pointed at me, or the TAV,害羞草研究所� Sgt. Kyle Kuharski.

Because he was by himself in the vehicle, Kuharski said, he wasn害羞草研究所檛 able to pull closed the hatch near his seat. 害羞草研究所淚t was a concern for me at that time because I害羞草研究所檓 sitting right there, and my head, while it害羞草研究所檚 recessed inside the vehicle, it is if you害羞草研究所檝e seen any movies with tanks, it害羞草研究所檚 kind of like that, you害羞草研究所檙e sitting there and then your head is just right kind of like flush with the roof of the TAV.害羞草研究所�

Kuharski has been a police officer since 2002 and was an ERT member from 2008 to 2021 in the Lower Mainland, based out of Surrey.

He backed the TAV off of the lawn and down the street to a place he could pull the heavy hatch closed, 害羞草研究所渏ust to give myself a little bit more of ballistic protection,害羞草研究所� before returning to the front lawn.

害羞草研究所淚 continued the broadcasts over the PA. I advised Randy that he was under arrest for pointing a firearm at a police officer. I continued to tell him that we needed to talk to him. We told him to call 911, asked him to come out, asked anyone inside to come out, told him, told Nona that we needed her to come out and just kind of went through that narrative.害羞草研究所�

Kuharski said he害羞草研究所檇 received a broadcast on his phone earlier, 害羞草研究所渢hat there had been shots fired and that they害羞草研究所檇 heard a female screaming and that ERT was required.害羞草研究所� After scoping out the scene, he thought the best position would be on the front lawn, where he activated the TAV害羞草研究所檚 emergency lights and sirens and did a broadcast on the 害羞草研究所渓oud-hailer.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 told Randy over the PA system that it was the police, that he was under arrest for failing to comply with his release conditions, that we had a warrant for his arrest and that he needed to exit the house. I told him to do this, come out the front door with his hands in the air, and continued to broadcast that.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t would be repetitious,害羞草研究所� he told the inquest.

害羞草研究所淚 remember from inside the TAV hearing yelling, a male害羞草研究所檚 voice 害羞草研究所� or it sounded like a male害羞草研究所檚 voice to me. It害羞草研究所檚 hard when you害羞草研究所檙e inside that vehicle, it害羞草研究所檚 obviously very heavy metal, it害羞草研究所檚 hard to hear what害羞草研究所檚 exactly being said, but I remember hearing someone yelling from outside which wasn害羞草研究所檛 us,害羞草研究所� Kuharski said.

Eventually he was asked to 害羞草研究所渙pen害羞草研究所� the front door of the house with a battering ram mounted on the front of the TAV, but he couldn害羞草研究所檛 get close enough.

The inquest began 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. 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.