The woman who was the passenger in the car with Brydon Whitstone the night he was shot and killed testified on Tuesday at Court of Queen’s Bench in Battleford, Sask.
Whitstone, 22, of Onion Lake, Sask., was fatally shot by an RCMP officer, following a brief pursuit in North Battleford on Oct. 21, 2017.
Amanda Wahobin said she became friends with Whitstone in July 2017.
While staying in North Battleford with friends in October 2017, Wahobin said she borrowed a white car from a friend she referred to as Minnow. She said she knew the car was stolen.
On the day of the fatal shooting, Wahobin said Whitstone gave her three rings, a bracelet and his watch.
She said Whitstone told her, “I want you to keep these in case something happens to me tonight.”
Later that evening, Wahobin said when the police pursuit occurred, Whitstone wasn’t going to stop.
“Are you ready, my minion?” Wahobin recalled Whitstone asking her.
Next, Wahobin remembered the car colliding with two police vehicles, then Whitstone and Wahobin told one another they loved each other.
Wahobin told court Whitstone kept putting the car in reverse and drive trying to escape, although they were surrounded by police.
That’s when she said Whitstone reached into his pants and she could hear officers shouting.
“I heard the cops say, ‘He’s grabbing something,’” Wahobin explained.
Whitstone was shot twice in the chest by an RCMP officer.
On Tuesday, court also heard the testimony of RCMP collision reconstructionist Cpl. Robert Topping.
Topping explained that when Whitstone’s car collided with the first police vehicle, he was going around 83 km/h and both vehicles didn’t have enough reaction time to avoid the collision.
North Battleford Advanced Care Paramedic Richard Kenkel also took the stand to explain how 20 minutes of advanced life support could not help Whitstone, as he was declared dead in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The inquest is scheduled to wrap up on Friday, with 17 witnesses in total expected to testify.
The purpose of the inquest is to determine the medical cause and manner of Whitstone’s death. The coroner’s jury can also make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
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