'Send help immediately': Inquest into fatal police shooting of Hamilton teen hears his 911 calls

An inquest into the death of 19-year-old Quinn MacDougall heard him tell a 911 call-taker he had been threatened and someone with a gun was outside his home.

"Please send help immediately," he could be heard saying in a recording of an emergency call made in April 3, 2018, that was played for the inquest jury on Tuesday.

"He just pulled a firearm." 

The details of that call made it a "priority 1" and police were dispatched immediately, said Michelle Muracco, a civilian member of the Hamilton Police Service who trains dispatchers and call-takers.

That wasn't his first call that day, however. The inquest heard MacDougall's first 911 call where he described receiving a Snapchat message from a "random" person around 11:55 a.m. that day who knew his home address and included a date, May 1.

MacDougall said even though the message was "vague" he found it threatening.

"I'm gonna be home today 'cause I'm just, like, terrified," he told the call-taker.

That call was ranked a "priority 4," according to Muracco, who said it was still on the board over three hours later, when MacDougall called again.

"Please send ... a squad car immediately," MacDougall could be heard saying in a call made at around 3:35 p.m.

He described someone with a gun outside, and said he was inside his house, but the recording ended with a dial tone that Muracco said meant he had hang up.

The inquest heard about another call made from a separate number, when the person at that number was reached, they handed the phone to a person who sounded similar to MacDougall.

The caller described the person threatening them as a Black 19-year-old, but hung up when the call-taker asked if they knew who it was.

A call between a dispatcher and police heading to the scene was also played.

Several different people appeared to be responding, but an officer could be heard saying "everyone can slow down."

'Difficult' to put mental health concerns in call

A short time later, another officer said "it might be MHA," which Muracco said is short for the Mental Health Act.

Inquest counsel Graham Leach later clarified that there were Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Teams (MCRRT), which include a social worker or psychiatric nurse paired with a police officer, working that day.

But, Muracco said, only two MCRRT teams were on at that time and both were on other calls.

She told the inquest that those teams would not respond to a call about a threat or weapon, unless there as a mental health component to it. And even then, they wouldn't be the main responders.

"We would not call them in as a primary unit, given the indication that there's weapons," said Muracco. "Criminal code has to supersede any mental health aspect to the call."

She went on to say that there was nothing in the calls to 911 that would have flagged any mental health concerns.

"There was nothing indicated to make that leap," said Muracco.

But, she added, call-takers don't want to label someone with having a mental health concern unless that's indicated to them somehow, such as a parent telling 911 their family member is having a psychotic issue.

"It makes it very difficult for us to label that or put that in a call," she said.

'Shots fired. Shots fired'

Just over a minute-and-a-half after the mention of MHA, an officer on the recording could be heard saying "he's pulled a knife and they're on foot pursuit now."

"Shots fired, shots fired," an officer on the call said just 14 seconds later. "We're going to need an ambulance here. Looks like the subject is down. All the officers look to be OK."

MacDougall was fatally shot during an interaction with Hamilton police after making several distraught 911 calls, reporting a man with a gun who he said was out to get him. He died in hospital after he was shot near his home, shortly after police arrived. 

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ontario's police watchdog, has cleared the police officers involved in the teen's death of any misconduct. 

The SIU also reported multiple witnesses came forward alleging that MacDougall was armed with a knife at the time of the interaction, and that he lunged at the officers with it.

The inquest, which began Monday, is mandatory under the Coroners Act. It's examining the events leading up to and surrounding the teen's death. It is expected to run over 10 days and will call approximately 21 witnesses.