VPD officers haven’t spoken at Myles Gray death hearing. Here’s what the exhibits say - BERITAJA

None of the 7 Vancouver police officers progressive successful a convulsive brushwood starring up to the decease of Myles Gray much than 10 years agone has yet testified astatine a nationalist proceeding that is scheduled to resume connected Wednesday.

But a communicative of what happened connected Aug. 13, 2015, emerges successful a bid of exhibits released by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, which is conducting the weeks-long hearing.

Much of that communicative is depicted successful recordings of interviews of the 7 officers by investigators betwixt 2016 and 2021. There are besides transcripts of 911 calls about Gray’s behaviour that preceded the incident, recordings of constabulary power chatter arsenic it spiraled retired of control, and photographs of the segment and the officers’ injuries successful the aftermath of Gray’s death.

A constabulary disciplinary process antecedently wished that the 7 officers did not perpetrate misconduct, and nary charges person been laid complete Gray’s death, which a 2023 coroner’s inquest ruled was a homicide.

The inquest heard that Gray was near pinch injuries that included a fractured oculus socket, a crushed sound container and ruptured testicles. A paramedic told the inquest that Gray’s bruising was truthful severe, he initially thought he was not a achromatic man.

The only responsive serviceman named connected the witnesser database is Const. Eric Birzneck. It is not yet known if immoderate of the different six officers — constables Kory Folkestad, Derek Cain, Josh Wong, Beau Spencer, Hardeep Sahota and Nick Thompson — intend to attest astatine the adjacent stages of the proceeding successful Vancouver.

Here’s what the exhibits successful the proceeding depict:

THE 911 CALLS: ‘HE’S JUST GONE’

Myles Gray’s mother, Margie Gray, was the first to telephone 911 about her boy connected the day of Aug. 13, 2015, telling the usability he had traveled from the Sunshine Coast to the Metro Vancouver area to present equipment to a floral shop, but had disappeared, leaving his keys, wallet, ID and backpack successful the vehicle.

“He’s conscionable gone,” she says successful a transcript of the call.

Gray describes her boy arsenic a 33-year-old, five-foot-10, achromatic man pinch ray brownish hairsbreadth who “body builds” and has a “known intelligence illness.”

When the dispatcher asked if he was physically aliases mentally disabled, Margie Gray clarified he had been diagnosed pinch bipolar upset and that was why she was “very concerned.”

“I don’t want to opportunity mentally abnormal but he has snapped successful the past, for illustration pinch bipolar, he has been psychotic backmost successful his precocious teens,” the transcript reads.

A transcript of a 2nd 911 telephone from a man named Daniel Rasmussen, who worked for the institution wherever Myles Gray had been delivering a shipment erstwhile he wandered off, is included successful the grounds folder.

Rasmussen tells the usability that Gray had not vanished delivering the shipment erstwhile an worker saw him stepping away, heading east, about 12:50 pm

A short clip later, a 3rd 911 telephone is made by a man named Muhammed Reza, who reports a man that he believed was drunk aliases precocious had harassed his mother, took a plot hose she was utilizing to h2o her plants and began “spraying her for perfectly nary reason.”

Reza says the man appeared intoxicated, yelling and astatine 1 constituent began hitting his ain head, while holding his shoes.

“He looks for illustration he’s — like, he has his hands down possibly for illustration he’s going to, like, walk out, aliases something,” he said.

THE RADIO CHATTER: ‘HE’S NOT IN CUSTODY,’ THEN A ROAR, 

A 15-minute signaling of constabulary power chatter captures events arsenic constabulary converge connected the segment and effort to restrain Gray, astatine 1 constituent capturing personification letting retired a large roar successful the background.

As constabulary arrived connected Joffre Avenue, conscionable connected the Burnaby broadside of the bound pinch Vancouver, an serviceman told a dispatcher that they were speaking pinch Gray.

“He’s challenging america to conflict pinch us. He seems very intoxicated aliases very high,” the serviceman says.

One serviceman says he’s heading to the segment and will beryllium “the bean-bag”, an evident reference to a less-lethal firearm utilized by police.

When a dispatcher asks for an update from the scene, the responses go breathless — and urgent.

“Hey, hey, hey,” says 1 voice. “We person him here, he’s not successful custody,” says another, earlier a large roar lasting a fewer seconds cuts her sound off.

There is simply a telephone for ambulances, and a reference to group being capsicum sprayed. A mates minutes later different serviceman tells dispatchers, “We’ve sewage a plan; we’re going to hobble him first, and past we’re going to propulsion him out” from nether something.

Just complete 7 minutes into the recording, an serviceman reports that Gray is “still fighting,” but little than a infinitesimal later he is reported to beryllium successful custody.

Then a fewer seconds later, a panting serviceman requests “code 3, EHS,” meaning an ambulance pinch sirens and lights. “The antheral is unconscious. He’s not responding.”

Ambulances are dispatched arsenic an serviceman reports: “We besides person 2 (police constables) who are injured here. One pinch a punch to the jaw, and the different 1 is bleeding from the head.”

The dispatcher is warned “if this feline comes to, we’re going to request a sedation protocol.”

THE INTERVIEWS: ‘SOMETHING JUST SNAPPED IN HIM’

The brushwood is described by the officers successful recordings of interviews pinch the Independent Investigations Office of BC, conducted agelong afterward.

The constables often mention to their notes to reply questions successful the interviews betwixt 2016 and 2021.

Const. Hardeep Sahota, who had been moving unsocial that day, was dispatched about 3:05 p.m. aft Reza’s 911 call. After locating Gray, she says she rolled down her vehicle’s model to talk to him.

“I past exited my conveyance astatine 1 point, and astatine that constituent he was very aggressive, very getting into my face, and moreover astatine 1 clip about touched my pin number, which is connected my azygous shirt,” Sahota said successful the July 18, 2016, interview.

“He was agitated, seemed very frustrated, very disoriented, he was sweating, he appeared to beryllium connected immoderate benignant of substance.”

She said that erstwhile he refused to comply pinch her bid to beryllium down, she returned to her wagon for her “safety.”

“My model was half down and he latched onto the model and tried to effort to propulsion it down aliases break it,” she said.

He yet walked distant and vanished up a adjacent stairwell.

Sahota said she near the constabulary conveyance and saw Gray astatine the apical of the stairs. “He looked astatine maine and he grabbed some of his fists successful a clenched mode downward and said, ‘welcome to the jungle’ — screamed really, really loud,” she told the investigator.

“At that point, I was very frightened for my life, truthful I ran backmost into the constabulary wagon and I decided to hold until screen came, which was Eric Birzneck and PC Kory Folkestad.”

Birzneck said successful August 2021 that Gray was topless, wearing shorts and had canine tags and a slug connected a concatenation about his neck. He described him arsenic “ripped” and said he instantly suspected Gray had “done a cycle” of steroids.

He said Gray was “talking to himself and pacing and shirtless and sweating.” Birzneck said he had his instrumentality retired but concealed from Gray.

Folkestad liked Gray’s demeanour to that of a lucky subordinate getting fresh to fight, successful his January 2020 interview.

“He had this arrogance, for illustration he wanted to spot really galore constabulary would travel and respond to him,” Folkestad said.

Birzneck said the confrontation began quickly.

“Something conscionable snapped successful him and his full demeanour changed; his look changed,” he said of Gray. “He dropped his head, benignant of fundamentally charging maine … the adjacent point you know, arsenic acold arsenic I recall, we are fundamentally successful it.”

He said Gray said their “badge doesn’t mean anything” arsenic Birzneck capsicum sprayed Gray’s eyes. Sahota, Folkestad said, tried to cuff Gray, but was only capable to get 1 wrist secured.

“There’s this powerful movement, and he ripped himself disconnected of maine for illustration thing and he squared up to us, and the conflict was on,” Folkestad said. “I was highly frightened astatine that point. I knew it was a conflict for my life.”

Birzneck reported striking Gray successful the near limb pinch his baton about 3 times, saying Gray went “from being calm to for illustration ‘The Hulk,’ truthful he’d person an unthinkable bout of strength.”

Folkestad said he thought they whitethorn person to sprout Gray. “I retrieve I (was) punched successful the look and my thought was that I’ve sewage to punch him arsenic galore times arsenic I can, arsenic difficult arsenic I could, successful bid to create immoderate benignant of model of power wherever different strategies could beryllium utilized to get power of him.”

He said he remembered emotion writer connected his face, “choking connected humor and mucus,” and Sahota calling retired his sanction earlier asking him to drawback Gray’s legs.

“So, I’m trying to process really bad I’m injured, if I’m going to walk retired again,” Folkestad said, adding that he grabbed Gray’s legs arsenic he continued “kicking and thrashing.”

It was “like a nightmare,” he said.

BATON STRIKES, PEPPER SPRAY AND ‘WEIRDEST’ MOMENT OF CALM

Constables Josh Wong and Nick Thompson arrived next, about 3:23 pm

Thompson said successful an April 2017 question and reply that arsenic they approached, he heard screaming, for illustration “someone experiencing psychosis,” and a “terrifying roar.”

Wong said he reached the apical of the staircase and saw 3 officers struggling to power the man, “who was look up connected his back” and continued to fight. Folkestad looked “severely injured” successful a crouched position, Wong said, pinch red, watery eyes and a “dazed and confused” look connected his face, “as if he had conscionable woken up.”

Thompson said he could smell the capsicum spray successful the air.

“I conscionable retrieve that divided infinitesimal wherever I looked astatine them, they were — they looked worried and I’ve ne'er seen that from, from anyone successful a use-of-force scenario,” he said.

Thompson said Gray “lunged up truthful hard” successful a “violent outburst” that the serviceman ended up cutting his caput connected the tree, “gushing blood.”

Wong said he began to hobble the man’s ankles while Sahota struggled to power his arms contempt being “visibly exhausted.”

Wong said he delivered respective knee strikes to Gray’s precocious body. He besides reported utilizing “close manus strikes” to Gray’s face, and told Thompson, whose look was covered successful blood, to hobble Gray’s legs arsenic Wong put his “head successful thing akin to a headlock.”

Wong said his loop was being pulled astatine and believed Gray was pulling astatine his baton, truthful he “delivered respective baton strikes to the precocious limb and enarthrosis area.”

More capsicum spray was deployed to Gray’s face, allowing the officers to handcuff him, Wong said, noting he continued to clasp him down by his correct elbow.

Thompson said it felt “like an eternity” earlier ambulances showed up.

Constables Derek Cain and Beau Spencer arrived astatine the segment astatine 3:26 p.m. to spot respective officers connected apical of Gray, who was lying look down, said Cain successful a 2021 interview.

“Officers were yelling astatine the taxable to extremity fighting. It was very evident to maine that officers did not person power of the taxable and for everyone’s safety, including the subject’s.”

Cain recalled trying to get clasp of Gray’s near wrist utilizing a wristlock, but he “showed nary symptom compliance.”

Meanwhile, Spencer said he assessed the scene, saw Gray successful a hobble, and believed his “main goal” was to get Gray’s limb down his backmost to handcuff him.

Cain described a infinitesimal wherever it appeared Gray was doing a pushup pinch an serviceman connected his back.

“I positioned myself adjacent the subject’s caput and placed 1 knee connected his shoulders and the different connected his correct temple arsenic his look was turned distant from me,” Cain said. “The taxable proceeded to assistance maine up successful the aerial pinch different serviceman connected his back. I repositioned again and delivered aggregate knee strikes to his precocious near arm.”

Cain said it took “at slightest 4 officers,’ including himself, to handcuff Gray, 2 sets being required owed to Gray’s “muscular build.”

Cain said Gray past fto retired a large sigh and his look started turning red. “The taxable was not breathing and his beat was anemic and thready astatine about 180 thumps per minute.”

The serviceman said he gave him a “sternal rub” and Gray began again but wrong seconds of being revived, “the taxable began flailing about, trying to guidelines up,” Cain said.

Spencer, who said he is six-foot-four and 200 pounds, said Gray was connected his stomach, truthful he knelt connected his precocious correct limb and enarthrosis area.

“He was bucking maine disconnected for illustration I was a child. He’s again displaying levels of spot I’ve ne'er seen from personification and he’s causing maine to autumn onto my backmost and onto my onto my butt and legs, continuously pinch maine conscionable kneeling connected his arms ,” ​​he said.

Spencer past described a infinitesimal he called the “weirdest portion about the full interaction.”

“While I was doing that, he was bucking maine disconnected (and) astatine 1 constituent he wholly stopped resisting and almost became calm and a different person. He looked towards maine and asked maine what was happening,” he said. “At that point, I said, ‘you’ve conscionable been progressive successful a conflict pinch about 8 officers. We sewage an ambulance coming. You’re going to beryllium OK.'”

Spencer said he looked “almost scared,” successful a complete demeanour shift.

“And past each of a abrupt he snapped backmost into a very fierce and angrier state. I’ve ne'er seen it before, I don’t cognize really to explicate it to you, but it was for illustration 2 people, 1 personification came and past they left.”

Spencer said Gray past “went wholly limp,” while Cain said his “face went reddish and he stopped breathing again.” Wong said Gray “became unresponsive and his look and lips appeared bluish and white.”

“The handcuffs were removed and first assistance was applied by respective constabulary constables,” Wong said.

Another officer, Const. Chris Bowater, a erstwhile paramedic who is not a taxable successful the inquiry, arrived and began assessing Gray, Cain said.

“Firefighters were gathered astatine the apical of the stairs, truthful I shouted astatine them to drawback their defibrillator, their automated outer defibrillator, and aesculapian jump kit and bring it over,” he said.

Cain said Gray was uncuffed, and he and Bowater attempted to resuscitate him, including utilizing a defibrillator, thorax compressions and container ventilation until paramedics arrived.

Spencer said he watched CPR efforts earlier deciding they needed to springiness aesculapian unit much room.

“We went down to the roadworthy toward my squad car, astatine which constituent we were told that he’d passed away,” Spencer said.

THE PHOTOS

Photos of the segment show signs of a struggle — yellowish grounds markers alongside evident humor stains connected patches of writer and woody plot furniture retainers. There are close-ups of various items — a watch, sunglasses, a constabulary baton and a capsicum spray canister — strewn crossed the lawn.

One photograph shows a yellowish garbage container of aesculapian equipment, including masks and gloves, and a reddish hazardous materials bag.

The black, strap-like hobble restraint referred to successful the constabulary interviews is shown loosely coiled connected the ground.

Photographs of the officer’s injuries are besides disclosed. Most picture aboveground marks, grazes, scuffs, abrasions and scrapes to officers’ necks, legs, arms and toes. One shows a deeper laceration connected the caput of 1 of the officers, humor showing done achromatic hair, while different depicts a bandaged trim to an officer’s jaw.

Other photos attached are a brace of grey pants aliases shorts, 2 bloodstained canine tags successful the sanction of Walter E. Kurtz, from the movie “Apocalypse Now,” and a UCLA Athletics garment and badge pinch a surgery cervix tie.

There are 2 images that picture Gray.

One of them, redacted pinch achromatic bars, is taken aft his death. It depicts his near manus and arm, which is swollen to a purple hue. His limb has a mini cut, still bleeding, and a portion of aesculapian portion is adjacent his elbow. A aesculapian conduit is lodged betwixt Gray’s mediate and ringing fingers, while 2 tightly bound handcuffs stay fastened to his swollen wrists. BERITAJA has chosen not to people the image.

Muhammed Reza, the 911 caller, supplied what appears to correspond the only afloat photograph of Gray connected the time of his death.

It is taken from a distance, blurry and washed out.

Gray sits shirtless successful the shadiness of a tree, connected a short group of actual stairs starring down to a townhouse complex.

His elbows remainder connected his knees and his caput hangs low, arsenic if mislaid successful thought.