A coroner91裸聊视频檚 inquest into the deaths of a Surrey couple killed by police during a hostage-taking in Whalley in 2019 opened April 16 in Burnaby with a written statement from the son of Randy E. Crosson, one of the deceased.
91裸聊视频淢y dad had a hard life and didn91裸聊视频檛 have the opportunities to get better and to get clean,91裸聊视频� he told the inquest. 91裸聊视频淲hat you are about to hear is about a man on drugs, struggling with life. But this was not my dad. My dad was a loving, caring person who loved all us kids. I91裸聊视频檓 sorry for what he has done with life, but hopefully today we can learn from this. I love my dad and Nona both the same.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淪o my hope today is for a little understanding, and hopefully today we as a family can get some closure for our future.91裸聊视频�
The inquest is at Coroners91裸聊视频� Court, on the 20th floor of Metrotower II, with coroner Margaret Janzen presiding. She and a jury are hearing evidence from witnesses under oath. The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances but not any finding of legal responsibility.
A Surrey-based police watchdog 91裸聊视频� the Independent Investigations Office 91裸聊视频� in 2020 found the RCMP91裸聊视频檚 Emergency Response Team 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 91裸聊视频渨hat appeared to be91裸聊视频� a gun in his hand.
Forensic police later found a 91裸聊视频渞ealistic-looking91裸聊视频� replica pistol between the bed and the wall. Crosson was pronounced dead at the scene and McEwan died in hospital.
Brandon McEwan, Nona McEwan91裸聊视频檚 son, told the coroner and jury 91裸聊视频渋t91裸聊视频檚 kind of hard to talk about her,91裸聊视频� wiping away tears. 91裸聊视频淪he was awesome.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淪he was a great person, a great friend,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淪he was a great mother.91裸聊视频�
He phoned 911, telling police Crosson was believed to have a gun and his mom wasn91裸聊视频檛 safe. 91裸聊视频淭hey brought a tank, that91裸聊视频檚 pretty scary.91裸聊视频�
McEwan was asked if he recalled how things ended. 91裸聊视频淪hitty,91裸聊视频� he replied.
91裸聊视频淭hese guys are supposed to be trained professionals and it didn91裸聊视频檛 seem that professional in my eyes,91裸聊视频� he told the jury.
Crosson91裸聊视频檚 probation officer Rob Ryhorchuk testified he was assigned to his case in 2015 after Crosson was convicted of robbery. Crosson91裸聊视频檚 criminal history began in 1996, primarily involving break-ins, theft, assault, carrying a weapon and numerous convictions for failing to comply with court orders.
In 2003, he was convicted of assaulting McEwan and released on probation. 91裸聊视频淗is explanation of the offence to his supervising probation officer at that point was that he threw a sandwich.91裸聊视频�
He was ordered not to have contact with her or her family for one year. 91裸聊视频淚 believe Mr. Crosson attended Ms. McEwan91裸聊视频檚 residence and threatened her father, her mother and herself saying he was going to burn their house down.91裸聊视频� He was convicted of uttering threats and breach of probation. 91裸聊视频淚 believe there was another two-year probation order,91裸聊视频� Ryhorchuk told the inquest.
Ryhorchuk said probation officers typically deal with 55 to 60 clients at any given time. The inquest heard Crosson was diagnosed as bipolar and 91裸聊视频渉ad a history of non-compliance in terms of taking his medication. He actually had his parole revoked because he failed to attend any mental health services in the community after being directed so by his probation officer. When I met with him he indicated to me that upon his release he was having issues accesssing medication.91裸聊视频�
The IIO concluded McEwan died because of Crosson91裸聊视频檚 actions, as he held her against her will in her home, threatened her life 91裸聊视频渁nd provoked an armed response from the police aimed at saving her.91裸聊视频� His actions, the IIO91裸聊视频檚 chief civilian director Ron MacDonald said, 91裸聊视频渕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.91裸聊视频�
Accordingly, he found, 91裸聊视频淚 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.91裸聊视频�
The IIO operates out of Bing Thom91裸聊视频檚 Central City tower in Whalley and reports to B.C.91裸聊视频檚 attorney general.
MacDonald noted his report was based, in part, on the statements of 25 91裸聊视频渃ivilian91裸聊视频� 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 continued after Now-Leader press time and is expected to run for two weeks.
