Coroner’s inquest: Officer describes being shot by crossbow

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Samuel Maloney was seated in a swivel chair when he fired a crossbow at a London police tactical officer who returned fire, an inquest heard.

Douglas Brown, a former member of the emergency response unit who is now an inspector with London police, described his encounter with Maloney during a raid on his Old South home at the third day of a coroner’s inquest Thursday.

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The then-constable was among 11 tactical officers who entered the Duchess Avenue house on Dec. 23, 2016, at 6:05 a.m. to arrest Maloney, 35, and seize evidence as part of an investigation into the unauthorized use of the Hyland Cinema’s website and email.

While officers moved through the home, Brown said he heard a woman’s voice behind a door to a main-floor office. Brown tried to kick the door open, but the woman – later identified as Maloney’s common-law wife Melissa Facciolo – held it closed, prompting him to use his shoulder to force it open.

“While I was doing that I was yelling, ‘Police, search warrant get down,’” Brown said.

Brown told Facciolo to get down and show her hands, but as he was reaching down he felt an “impact” to his stomach, he said.

“I recognized I had been shot, something had hit me in the torso,” Brown said.

Maloney was sitting in a swivel chair, holding a crossbow in one hand and what appeared to be a gun in a cloth sheath in the other, Brown said.

Brown fired a single shot from his rifle.

“Because I was fearing of getting shot again, I fired two more rounds,” he said.

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Facciolo got up and ran toward Brown, who was pulled back out of the doorway by Const. Josh Silcox.

Brown yelled that shots were fired and the suspect had a gun. Facciolo ran to a rear bedroom in which her children and three officers were.

“I quickly checked for blood on my abdomen by sliding my hand into the left side of the containment vest,” Brown said.

“I didn’t feel anything.”

Brown negotiated with Maloney, who demanded to see the warrant and refused repeated demands to surrender.

“I agreed that I would show him the warrant, but he would have to come out and show his hands,” Brown said.

Maloney told Brown he needed an ambulance but still refused to leave the room.

“I advised him that his family was safe,” Brown said.

Suddenly, Maloney yelled something indiscernible and ran to the rear bedroom while holding something, Brown said.

“I heard two or three shots . . . then I heard a loud thump or crash,” Brown said.

Another shot rang out, Brown said, and Maloney was lying on the floor of the bedroom.

“I could see that Sam still had a large knife attached to a sheath in his belt,” Brown said.

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Facciolo, who had her two young children in her arms, was screaming.

“Cops killed daddy, police ruined our lives,” Brown summarized her saying before police escorted her and the kids out of the house.

The inquest into Maloney’s death is mandatory under Ontario’s Coroners Act. The purpose of the inquest is to lay out the facts of Maloney’s death before five jurors who will then make non-binding recommendations to prevent similar deaths from occurring.

The virtual inquest, which is expected to last 15 days, resumes Friday, when the cross-examination of Brown will continue.

dcarruthers@postmedia.com

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