Veteran paramedic testifies he couldn’t tell Myles Gray’s ethnicity due to bruising

The inquest into the police-involved death of a 33-year-old man in 2015 continued on Thursday, with another paramedic taking the stand.

Steven Shipman testified that when he arrived on scene that day, the bruising around Myles Gray’s face and neck was so severe that he couldn’t tell at first if Gray was a white man.

Shipman said that it was not until he got closer to Gray, who was lying on the ground, that he realized his colouration was bruising and not his skin colour.

Shipman also testified that it was difficult to intubate Gray in order to provide ventilation, as there was blood in Gray’s mouth and significant swelling of his trachea around his vocal cords.

He said that one of the officers on the scene that day told him that Gray had been in a chokehold.

Gray died in August 2015 after a severe beating by seven Vancouver police officers in south Vancouver that left him with hemorrhaging in his testicles, and fractures in his eye socket, nose, voice box and rib.

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A 2023 coroner’s inquest concluded the death was a homicide.

The inquest into his death in 2023 heard that Gray was delivering flowers as part of his business at the time. Witnesses testified he was shirtless and swore at and sprayed a woman with a garden hose before walking in circles, yelling, and running into the street.

Vancouver police responded to a 911 call about an agitated man, leading to a confrontation on a residential property.

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The officers involved were the only witnesses, and there was no video evidence.

The complaint alleges that constables Beau Spencer, Hardeep Sahota, Josh Wong, Kory Folkestad, Nick Thompson, and Derek Cain may have committed abuse of authority by using excessive force and dereliction of duty for failing to complete required notes and reports in the matter.

Const. Eric Birzneck faces only the second allegation of abuse of authority.

On Thursday, defence counsel for Birzneck tried to point to other factors that may have caused the swelling in Gray’s head and neck.

Mike Shirreff asked Shipman if there are lots of reasons why someone would have swelling in their trachea.

Shipman said yes.

Shirreff asked if swelling would appear in someone who was pepper-sprayed and Shipman said possibly, adding that swelling is swelling, regardless of the cause.

When asked if excessive yelling could lead to swelling, Shipman said he should ask a physician.

“It was just wild that they would insinuate that his neck injuries could have been from him yelling, or it could have been due to his body weight,” Gray’s sister Melissa said outside the inquest.

The inquiry is expected to hear from a toxicologist on Friday, and then next week, hear from the forensic pathologist as well as a use-of-force expert.