Was there a pulse? RCMP officers give contradictory evidence about woman’s death in N.S. attack

A public inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass homicide rampage in 2020 heard shockingly contradictory proof from two RCMP officers who have been each on the scene of one of many 22 victims.

Each variations are heartbreaking however stark inconsistency between two veteran officers, in addition to in a few of their earlier statements, remained frustratingly unreconciled Thursday, main some within the public gallery to shout out “liar” in the course of the listening to.

RCMP Const. Ian Fahie took the stand first at a public inquiry into the taking pictures spree by Gabriel Wortman, who was masquerading as an RCMP officer.

Fahie spoke of efforts to save lots of Heather O’Brien, 55, who was shot in her automobile as she was driving close to Debert, N.S., on the morning of April 19, 2020.

He stated he and fellow constable Devonna Coleman arrived to search out O’Brien’s Jetta in a ditch. He stated he guarded the realm from the highway — offering “deadly overwatch” — whereas Coleman checked on the driving force.

He stated he aggressively ordered a firefighter who arrived to assist to go away due to worry the gunman was nonetheless within the space, swearing at him. He did the identical, maybe with out the swearing, when considered one of O’Brien’s daughters, Michaella Scott, arrived and stated “that’s my mom’s automobile.”

She dialed a telephone and a telephone rang within the automobile, Fahie stated, however he deemed it too harmful for her to stay there. He then switched roles with Coleman, and he went to the automobile, he stated.

In a written report quickly after, he wrote of O’Brien, “the feminine was barely alive, displaying little or no indicators. Weak pulse very slight noises.” In a earlier interview for the inquiry he stated, “I’m making an attempt to place the automobile in park and making an attempt to tug her out.”

In his report, earlier interview, and in Thursday’s testimony, Fahie stated a member of an Emergency Medical Response Group (EMRT) arrived, tapped his shoulder on the automobile as he was making an attempt to deal with O’Brien and stated, “I received this.”

Fahie testified each an ambulance and an air ambulance have been referred to as however couldn’t come due to the hazard. His earlier phrases have been that they lined her with a blanket and needed to let her die.

On Thursday, he stated the outline was a “poor selection of phrases.” The noises he heard, he stated, have been simply “air and gasses leaving physique.” He stated he didn’t imply to say they left her to die, however slightly left her when she died.

He additionally backtracked on whether or not he actually felt a pulse.

“I do know I needed to really feel a pulse,” Fahie stated Thursday. “I can’t say for sure if I did really feel a pulse or if it was mine.”

The amendments angered some within the dwell viewers.

“Liar,” somebody shouted.

A member within the public gallery requested how Fahie’s proof may go from feeling a pulse to not feeling a pulse.

Fee chairman J. Michael MacDonald, the province’s former Chief Justice, stated he understood feelings ran excessive.

“You don’t perceive. If that was your spouse, would you perceive?” O’Brien’s husband referred to as out. Any individual left the room noisily earlier than Fahie continued his testimony.

The subsequent witness was the EMRT officer who Fahie stated tapped him on the shoulder whereas he was making an attempt to assist O’Brien.

RCMP Corporal Duane Ivany stated: “That didn’t occur.”

Ivany testified that when he and his accomplice, Const. Jeff Mahar, arrived on the scene, Fahie and Coleman have been on the highway behind their automobile, weapons drawn trying on the treeline.

He stated nobody was on the automobile and when he and Mahar received to the Jetta, the home windows on each side have been up and the doorways jammed shut. He noticed a cluster of bullet holes within the driver’s aspect window, however the glass remained intact. There was no proof anybody had been inside to assist.

Ivany stated he was about to smash a window together with his baton to get inside when Mahar smashed the driving force’s aspect window.

After they received O’Brien out of her automobile, Ivany was close to her head, and he appeared down and noticed wounds to her higher torso space. He referred to as out that he may need felt a pulse. Mahar questioned this, saying to take a look at her.

“I appeared down and at that time was capable of observe a gunshot wound to her left eye,” he stated. He stated he additionally felt an exit wound at the back of her head.

They did a radical pulse examine on totally different elements of her physique and located no pulse. He stated he shined a light-weight in her proper eye to see if her pupil reacted to it and it didn’t.

He stated there was “no potential to do any resuscitation efforts.”

Ivany was requested if an ambulance or helicopter ambulance would have made a distinction. He stated not even a surgeon in an emergency room may assist.

He stated he received a blanket and lined her lifeless physique.

Underneath cross examination, Ivany was requested a couple of thoracic seal — a medical system generally used to deal with chest wounds — that had been utilized to O’Brien’s physique.

He stated it’s attainable he utilized it or his accomplice did as an preliminary effort at remedy earlier than realizing it wasn’t mandatory.

Regardless of somebody calling out “liar” throughout Fahie’s testimony, considered one of O’Brien’s daughters earlier stated on Fb that Ivany’s model does “not line up with the details now we have on paper.”

Darcy Dobson launched information from O’Brien’s Fitbit, an train bracelet that displays physique motion and exercise, displaying a heartbeat for hours after the taking pictures. She stated the information was supplied to the inquiry however not included in its documentation.

The inquiry continues on Could 10.

Copyright Postmedia Community Inc., 2022