Rear naked chokehold used on Myles Gray during arrest, paramedic testifies

A paramedic who attended the scene of Myles Gray's death testified Thursday that his injuries were so severe he was almost unrecognizable.

The public hearing into the 2015 police-involved death of Myles Gray continued Thursday, with an attending paramedic describing the 33‑year‑old’s injuries as so severe, he initially couldn’t tell Gray’s ethnicity.

Stephen Shipmen, one of the first paramedics on scene in Burnaby, testified that when he arrived Gray was badly bruised and not moving or breathing.

“When I first laid eyes on him, he did not look white, but as I got closer, he obviously was,” Shipmen told the hearing. “When I first laid eyes on him, I guess I was fixated on his bruising.”

Another paramedic testified Wednestday that Gray’s injuries resembled those seen in hangings.

“I say that because of the sheer, what looked like trauma to me, affected on the patient with the wounds, with the bruising, with the discolouration,” said paramedic Scott McEwen.

Shipmen told the hearing an officer informed him that Gray had been placed in a lateral neck restraint, also known as a rear naked chokehold.

He described difficulty attempting to intubate Gray.

“It was a difficult intubation for me, which was unusual. I noted there was swelling in the airway,” he said.

Violent struggle with police

Gray became unresponsive after a violent struggle with Vancouver police officers who were responding to a disturbance call in August of 2015. During the confrontation, he was handcuffed, his legs were bound, and he was beaten. Officers later described his strength as “superhuman.”

An attending officer also testified Thursday about injuries sustained by police that day, including those suffered by Kory Folkestad, one of seven officers accused of using unnecessary force.

“He had a red, swollen face,” Const. Gordon Stokes testified, adding that another officer’s face was “covered in blood.”

Questions around drug use resurface

During cross examination, lawyers for several officers raised questions about whether Gray may have been using steroids or drugs — a line of questioning that has surfaced repeatedly during the hearing.

A toxicology report presented during the 2023 coroner’s inquest into Gray’s death found no alcohol, steroids or psychedelic drugs in his system. Lawyers representing the officers are expected to challenge that finding when the toxicologist testifies Friday.

Gray’s family maintains that repeated suggestions of drug use ignore the established evidence and distort who Myles was.

“My brother was 5′9″, 5′10″, and they’re making him out like he was a superhero,” said Melissa Gray.

‘He needed care and compassion’

Friends of Gray say the descriptions provided in testimony do not match the person they knew.

“The person they’re describing versus the person we knew is so unknown to us,” said friend Erin White. “And whatever happened to him, he needed such good care that day and compassion. And he was just met with horror.”

The hearing is expected to run until mid-May. At its conclusion, the adjudicator will determine whether any of the officers involved should face disciplinary measures, up to and including dismissal from the Vancouver Police Department.

All seven officers have denied wrongdoing.