The judge in the trial of accused killer Nicholas Bellemare saw security camera footage of the moments just before and after the fatal shooting of RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien during Tuesday’s proceedings.
Bellemare, charged with first degree murder in the death of the Ridge Meadows Mountie O’Brien, went on trial in Supreme Court in New Westminster on Monday, Nov. 3.
He is also charged with the attempted murder of Cpl. Colin Ryder during the same Sept. 22, 2023 shooting, and faces weapons offences.
A Crown witness was RCMP Sgt. Chase Smith, with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) who had prepared a video of the crime scene and incident for the court.
The court saw security camera video of O’Brien and Ryder as part of a team of five officers entering the Coquitlam tower, and taking an elevator up to the apartment. They were to execute a search warrant at an apartment on the 22nd floor as part of a drug investigation.
The court did not see video of the shooting, but has heard O’Brien was the first officer through the apartment door, and he and Ryder were both hit by gunfire from an AR-15 rifle.
There was footage of O’Brien being dragged back into the elevator by two officers, and then at the downstairs lobby the officers met with waiting paramedics. O’Brien does not appear to be responsive, and is not moving.
His wife Nicole Longacre-O’Brien was watching in the courtroom, consoled by loved ones.
The video also shows the officers take Bellemare onto the elevator, minutes later, with the suspect wearing only underwear, and in handcuffs. He was upright, and appeared to be not resisting arrest. There was no audio.
The court heard Bellemare was taken to Royal Columbian Hospital, where he had an operation to remove a bullet from his forearm.
The IHIT video shows numerous officers moving in and out of the apartment tower at 3007 Glen Drive after the shooting.
Police dog handler Cpl. Paul Carey, who was working with the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team (ERT) at the time testified Tuesday about “clearing” the apartment with his police dog Jedi after the shooting.
“It was unknown if there was a second or multiple subjects inside,” he said.
He said the ERT members were “getting their tech guys in place, and getting their snipers in place.”
Carey described how after his dog had “cleared” rooms, ERT officers then moved in to confirm there were no more suspects.
In the last room they searched there was a closet, and Jedi laid down in front of it, indicating the dog found evidence, and also barked, indicating he had picked up human scent.
“I believed there could be somebody else hiding in the closet,” Carey said.
Carey brought the dog out of the room, and police threw in a stun grenade.
The closet had Rubbermaid containers stacked inside, and just inside the closet door was a spent shell casing and a live round, which may have been what caused Jedi to indicate there was evidence. Another closet in the same room had several carbine and rifle-type firearms inside it.
Police found no other people in the apartment, but they did find a large quantity of drugs.
The trial continues, scheduled for seven weeks.