Officer tells inquest that Hamilton teen looked 'desperate to stab me' before shooting

Det. Const. Marcello Filice said he saw "desperation" in Quinn MacDougall's eyes as the 19-year-old ran toward his unmarked police SUV with a knife in his hand.

"I, at that point, thought that the knife was going to be coming through the window and I was going to get stabbed," the Hamilton police officer told an inquest into MacDougall's death on Wednesday.

"It's the closest I've ever come, hopefully the closest I ever come, to that kind of danger," he added later in the day.

But, the inquest heard, it's possible MacDougall mistakenly thought the officer, who was dressed in jeans, a black coat, hoodie and a baseball cap, was actually the person who had been threatening him and led him to call police in the first place.

Filice said he was working undercover on the Mountain on April 3, 2018, when a 911 dispatcher said someone was reporting threats and a person with a gun near their home.

The distraught calls for help came from MacDougall, who said someone he didn't know had messaged him on Snapchat, sharing a picture of his home with the words "we're fighting."

The teen made several distraught 911 calls, reporting a man with a gun who he said was out to get him.

He was fatally shot a short time after police arrived.

Undercover officer mistaken for person making threats

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

Filice began his appearance at the inquest speaking directly to MacDougall's family, noting he's a father himself.

"I've often thought about how devastating something like this would be, if it would happen to me. I want to offer my condolences and I'm sorry for your loss."

He said the call about a person with a gun caught his attention as he taught a presentation for other officers about how to identify someone who's armed, so he drove over to see if he could help.

An officer in a marked cruiser arrived at Caledon Avenue around the same time, he said, and began speaking to two males, who he assumed had called 911.

Showed badge from under his coat

Filice said he noticed they were looking toward his vehicle and he got out to show his badge, which was hidden under his coat, and identify himself to the other officer.

Filice recalled speaking with another officer shortly after he arrived at the scene. That officer told him MacDougall may have thought he was the man who had been threatening him.

The officer "thought there might be some MHA issues, which means mental health issues," Filice recalled.

He returned to his SUV, but kept his window open to hear what was being said. A short time later, he said, he heard raised voices and someone shout about a knife.

When he looked up, Filice said he saw MacDougall coming toward him with a three-inch blade.

'We made eye contact'

"He had the knife outstretched in his hand and we made eye contact," he told the inquest.

Filice said he started rolling up his window to barricade himself in his car, but MacDougall was at the side of the vehicle when it was only about two-thirds of the way up.

The officer said his gun was trapped under his clothing, so he just leaned as far from the window as he could. But the teen stopped, then moved away.

There hadn't been any yelling, arguing or signs a confrontation was coming during the initial conversation with police, Filice said.

But when he locked eyes with MacDougall, he got a different impression.

"He looked like he was desperate to stab me," said Filice.

Filice said he then reached behind his seat to grab his tactical vest with is baton, pepper spray and Taser.

He described catching glimpses of what was happening behind him in the side mirror, including the "crackle" of a Taser being fired.

MacDougall stopped in the middle of the street, he said.

Family's lawyer asks about de-escalation

"He takes a few steps forward and then he lunges at one of the officers," said Filice. Then officers opened fire.

"I heard three or four gunshots," he recalled. "I saw him kind of pause, then take a few steps forward, and then he dropped."

Margaret Hoy, the lawyer representing MacDougall's family, pointed out that Filice said he had trouble remembering some details of that day because he was afraid for his life.

"Did anyone tell you Quinn MacDougall was afraid for his life and had been afraid all day?" she asked.

The officer acknowledged the threats had been mentioned by the 911 dispatcher. When Hoy asked if he noticed any attempts by police to de-escalate the situation, he said no — not beyond them yelling for MacDougall to drop the knife.

Officers appeared in shock after the gunshots

"In my mind when somebody is charging at another person with a knife to stab them, the point of trying to calmly talk to that person, that opportunity just isn't there," said Filice. 

"At that point, the only chance you have to stop someone from doing what it is you think they're going to do, is to yell commands."

After the gunshots, Filice said the officers involved appeared to be in shock, adding the events of that day had an impact on him too.

"It happened just so quickly," he said. "The fact that the person that you're there to help, that that now becomes your threat, I still can't get my head wrapped around that."

Wednesday marked the third day of the inquest, which is 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.