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In the line of fire: Armoured vehicle driver testifies at B.C. inquest

Inquest into deaths of SurreyB次元官网网址檚 Nona McEwan and Randy Crosson continues in Burnaby
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An RCMP tactical armoured vehicle similar to the one used by police during a hostage-taking in Whalley in 2019. (Photo: Troy Landreville)

The Emergency Response Team cop who drove an RCMP tactical armoured vehicle during a fatal stand-off in Whalley five years ago told a coronerB次元官网网址檚 inquest what it was like to be in harmB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淚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,B次元官网网址 Sgt. Kyle Kuharski.

Because he was by himself in the vehicle, Kuharski said, he wasnB次元官网网址檛 able to pull closed the hatch near his seat. B次元官网网址淚t was a concern for me at that time because IB次元官网网址檓 sitting right there, and my head, while itB次元官网网址檚 recessed inside the vehicle, it is if youB次元官网网址檝e seen any movies with tanks, itB次元官网网址檚 kind of like that, youB次元官网网址檙e sitting there and then your head is just right kind of like flush with the roof of the TAV.B次元官网网址

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, B次元官网网址渏ust to give myself a little bit more of ballistic protection,B次元官网网址 before returning to the front lawn.

B次元官网网址淚 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.B次元官网网址

Kuharski said heB次元官网网址檇 received a broadcast on his phone earlier, B次元官网网址渢hat there had been shots fired and that theyB次元官网网址檇 heard a female screaming and that ERT was required.B次元官网网址 After scoping out the scene, he thought the best position would be on the front lawn, where he activated the TAVB次元官网网址檚 emergency lights and sirens and did a broadcast on the B次元官网网址渓oud-hailer.B次元官网网址

B次元官网网址淚 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.B次元官网网址

B次元官网网址淚t would be repetitious,B次元官网网址 he told the inquest.

B次元官网网址淚 remember from inside the TAV hearing yelling, a maleB次元官网网址檚 voice B次元官网网址 or it sounded like a maleB次元官网网址檚 voice to me. ItB次元官网网址檚 hard when youB次元官网网址檙e inside that vehicle, itB次元官网网址檚 obviously very heavy metal, itB次元官网网址檚 hard to hear whatB次元官网网址檚 exactly being said, but I remember hearing someone yelling from outside which wasnB次元官网网址檛 us,B次元官网网址 Kuharski said.

Eventually he was asked to B次元官网网址渙penB次元官网网址 the front door of the house with a battering ram mounted on the front of the TAV, but he couldnB次元官网网址檛 get close enough.

The inquest began April 16 in Burnaby at CoronersB次元官网网址 Court on the 20th floor of Metrotower II with coroner Margaret Janzen presiding. ItB次元官网网址檚 expected to run for two weeks, with a jury of four women and a man hearing testimony.



About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
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