A coroner’s inquest jury has made seven recommendations after hearing two weeks of testimony into the shooting deaths of Randy Crosson, 48, and Nona McEwan, 45, both killed by Emergency Response Team police during a March 29, 2019 hostage-taking in the Whalley house she rented.
Crosson held his girlfriend McEwan hostage and used her as a human shield, the inquest heard.
Coroner Margaret Janzen presided over the inquest in Burnaby, at Coroners’ Court, with a jury of four women and a man on April 25 turning in a verdict classifying both deaths as homicides resulting from multiple gunshot wounds.
In McEwan’s case, the jury made no recommendations but presented seven related to Crosson, including four to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, two to RCMP E Division and one to E-Comm 9-1-1.
The jury recommended to the ministry that it “provide extended training to probation officers in mental health disorders and addictions; review and develop mental health agency relationships/partnerships with health authorities and other agencies to provide additional tools and supports to probation officers and their clients; conduct coroner’s inquests in a timely manner; and capture by audio, visual, and other means events involving Emergency Response Team members.”