B.C. firefighters say Myles Gray was laying on his stomach with his wrists and ankles tied together, but that police officers wouldnB次元官网网址檛 allow them to attend to him until he stopped breathing.

The Burnaby firefighters recounted the events of Aug. 13, 2015 to a coronerB次元官网网址檚 inquest investigating GrayB次元官网网址檚 death on Tuesday (April 25).

Lt. Young Robert Lee recalled arriving in the wooded backyard of a Burnaby home that afternoon and seeing four Vancouver police officers on Gray B次元官网网址� one holding down his head, one laying on top of his torso, one restraining his legs and one pulling back on a nylon strap that was tied around his ankles.

Gray, 33, was face down in the ground and handcuffed, but was still struggling about in what appeared to Lee as an attempt to throw off the officers.

Firefighter Scott Frizzel and now-retired Capt. John Campbell also described Gray as moving around, but both said he was B次元官网网址渨ell restrained.B次元官网网址�

Lee told the inquest that as he and Campbell moved in to assess Gray they were told by a police officer that they werenB次元官网网址檛 allowed to because Gray was B次元官网网址渟till combative.B次元官网网址� Lee said it is fairly standard for firefighters to be told to wait if a situation is considered dangerous.

Still hoping to get a read on GrayB次元官网网址檚 medical condition from a distance, Lee said he walked in a circle around the scene.

B次元官网网址淚 could see there were a number of injuries. There was bruising around both eyes. I remember abrasions on his face, on his forehead. I remember there being a lot of blood.B次元官网网址�

Lee said he also saw bruising on GrayB次元官网网址檚 back, arms and legs and a pool of blood or another bodily fluid next to him.

B次元官网网址淭he extent of his injuries were very severe.B次元官网网址�

Lee said he had some concern about GrayB次元官网网址檚 ability to breath, but that he continued to see him struggle and grunt. It wasnB次元官网网址檛 until Gray suddenly stopped moving and police officers turned him onto his back that Lee said he saw Gray exhibiting signs of being cyanotic B次元官网网址� a condition in which a patient starts turning blue or purplish due to a lack of oxygen.

Frizzel and Campbell both testified that it was hard to tell whether the discoloration of GrayB次元官网网址檚 face was because of a lack of oxygen or his extensive facial injuries. A paramedic who arrived on scene shortly after described Gray as B次元官网网址渧ery cyanoticB次元官网网址� with blue running from the base of his neck to the top of his head.

As soon as Gray was rolled over and unhandcuffed, a police officer started compressions on him and the firefighters ran back to the street to retrieve their medical equipment. They estimated it took them one to two minutes to have Gray hooked up to an oxygen tank.

The firefighters also had a defibrillator ready to go, but said the device never gave them the go-ahead to shock Gray.

Basic life support paramedics arrived soon after the resuscitation efforts started and hooked Gray up to an IV of saline solution. Advanced life support paramedics showed up next and worked to intubate Gray. Paramedic Stephen Shipman said it was more difficult than usual because GrayB次元官网网址檚 throat was swollen and had blood in it.

He also noted that when he first saw Gray he didnB次元官网网址檛 know he was Caucasian because he was bruised so severely.

B次元官网网址淗e was beaten pretty bad.B次元官网网址�

In total, first responders worked on Gray for 45 minutes to an hour, rotating out in shifts, before the 33-year-old was declared dead.

A later autopsy revealed the 33-year-old had been left with numerous broken bones in his face, a broken rib, brain bleeding, ruptured testicles and extensive bruising. Police officers who testified earlier in the inquest said they pepper-sprayed Gray, punched and kicked him, beat him with batons and put him in neck restraints. Many of them said they feared for their life during the encounter and described Gray as having B次元官网网址渟uperhumanB次元官网网址� strength.

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GrayB次元官网网址檚 sister, Melissa Gray, testified that her brother had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in high school, but that he hadnB次元官网网址檛 suffered an episode since then. She described him as B次元官网网址渋nquisitive, goofy, kind and loyal.B次元官网网址�

The inquest is scheduled to last until April 28, with more first responders, doctors and representatives from B.C.B次元官网网址檚 police watchdog expected to testify. ItB次元官网网址檚 the inquest juryB次元官网网址檚 job to determine the circumstances of GrayB次元官网网址檚 death and make recommendations to prevent similar ones from occurring in the future.

It is not their job to lay blame, and no criminal charges have ever been approved against the officers involved.

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