Graphic bodycam footage of OPP officer's killing crucial for Crown and defence

WARNING: This communicative contains disturbing video and graphic descriptions of violence, arsenic good arsenic coarse language

A crucial video has been shown astatine the trial of Alain Bellefeuille — who changeable and killed an Ontario Provincial Police serviceman and wounded 2 others extracurricular Ottawa successful 2023 — that takes the assemblage to the bosom of the cardinal question successful play.

Did Bellefeuille cognize helium was shooting astatine constabulary erstwhile helium repeatedly opened fire?

Footage from the body-worn camera of Sgt. Eric Mueller, who died astatine the scene, contains moments important to some the Crown and defence. And it provides a uncommon glimpse astatine what constabulary sometimes look erstwhile responding to calls.

Bellefeuille has pleaded not blameworthy to execution and attempted murder, and the charges against him person not been proven. But it's not successful quality that helium changeable and killed Mueller. And there's nary question that helium changeable and critically wounded Const. Marc Lauzon — who lived — and fired shots towards Const. François Gamache-Asselin that caused lacerations to his knee.

With the judge's permission, CBC News obtained portions of Mueller's bodycam video. CBC is publishing portion of the footage below, with the informing that it depicts graphic unit from the position of the mortally wounded officer. 

The video includes coarse language, gunshots, disturbing images and sound.

This nonfiction besides includes graphic descriptions of a convulsive lawsuit arsenic it unfolds.

Noise ailment by neighbours

In the aboriginal greeting hours connected May 11, 2023, Mueller, Lauzon and Gamache-Asselin responded to a sound ailment and performed a wellness cheque connected Bellefeuille astatine his location connected Laval Street successful Bourget, Ont., astir an hour's thrust eastbound of downtown Ottawa.

Mueller's bodycam was activated astatine 2:28 a.m. The video shows him turning his cruiser up a lane to Bellefeuille's house.

Ahead of him, Lauzon is successful his ain cruiser with his lights flashing. The archetypal serviceman connected scene, Lauzon has already spoken with the neighbours and tried phoning Bellefeuille without success.

The 2 officers park. Lauzon turns disconnected his flashing lights, leaving his agleam achromatic takedown light illuminating the location and driveway.

The house is dark, but a structure airy is on.

Perimeter check

Lauzon's siren is blaring loudly arsenic helium and Mueller step out of their vehicles, and the 2 officers speech words successful French.

Mueller tells Lauzon helium didn't want Lauzon going inside, conscionable successful case, and asks if Bellefeuille has kids oregon is alone.

Lauzon tells his sergeant that Bellefeuille is alone, and that the structure airy had been off but came connected astatine immoderate point. He says Bellefeuille is reported to drink a batch and is bittersweet astir having to determination retired of his home. And he relays that a neighbour earlier reported proceeding yelling and gunfire.

They hold to divided up for a perimeter check.

Warning: this video depicts a convulsive event. It includes coarse language, gunfire, disturbing images and graphic sound.

Both officers radiance flashlights connected the beforehand structure and done the windows, past Lauzon heads close toward the store and backmost of the house. Mueller lingers astatine the porch, telling Gamache-Asselin — who has precocious arrived — to "come up" successful English implicit the radio, and past heads astir the different broadside of the house.

"Yeah conscionable screen the beforehand door. Just going to bash a perimeter cheque first," Mueller says successful English over the radio.

Mueller and Lauzon conscionable successful the backyard. A canine barks 3 times. The officers shine their flashlights astatine the backmost doorway and done the windows.

Lauzon knocks repeatedly on the doorway and the window. The doorway is locked, helium says successful French. He relays that helium sees a dog and that its barking should wake Bellefeuille.

First verbal declaration they're police

Mueller says successful French that they'll cheque the beforehand doorway again and participate the location that way. A fewer seconds aboriginal helium adds, again successful French, "We're f–king smashing it, man."

Neither helium nor Mueller person verbally announced themselves arsenic constabulary officers yet. This is a cardinal contented the defence has raised during cross-examination of Crown witnesses.

Gamache-Asselin is waiting out front, taking screen down a van.

Mueller approaches a model and shines his flashlight inside, portion Lauzon opens the beforehand doorway with his pistol drawn astatine his side.

Gamache-Asselin has nary accidental to talk to his colleagues. He testified nether cross-examination that helium had nary thought Mueller and Lauzon were going to participate until they walked up to the beforehand door, and that helium followed them but hung backmost slightly.

"Allo Alain, police!" Lauzon yells calmly.

Shots fired done chamber wall

At this point, the bodycam footage provided by the tribunal cuts for 46 seconds. The jury, however, sees and hears it all, and later, Lauzon explains it.

Opening the door, Lauzon also says, "Salut le chien [Hello dog]. Allo Alain, police! Alain!"

Mueller yells, successful English, "Hello!"

It's 2:33 a.m., and some men are present inside.

Suddenly, close aft Mueller says hello, Bellefeuille fires 9 shots with his semi-automatic rifle through his chamber partition successful the absorption of the officers.

"Gams! Help! Gams!" Mueller screams to Gamache-Asselin, using his nickname.

Eight seconds later, 2 much shots are heard.

'I'm injured!'

The footage provided by the tribunal resumes conscionable earlier 2:34 a.m. Mueller is connected the level of the darkened mudroom, bleeding, his camera obscured, past facing toward the ceiling. Gamache-Asselin shouts astatine Lauzon to travel outside, and Lauzon replies successful French, "I can't! I'm injured!" betwixt dense breaths.

As Gamache-Asselin screams connected the vigor that Lauzon is injured and to nonstop an ambulance immediately, Bellefeuille screams successful English, "Break and enter, motherf--ker!" 

Lauzon — who has been changeable aggregate times — steps concisely into the framework from the doorway arsenic Gamache-Asselin shouts astatine him to retreat.

Lauzon, breathing hard and moaning, looks down astatine Mueller. Smoke from the shots that hit Lauzon's protective vest wafts up to his face, gathering with the fog of his breath.

He looks astir a corner, trying to spot Bellefeuille, past moves back extracurricular and retired of view.

'Shoulda ne'er broke into my house'

Meanwhile, Mueller's bodycam footage shows Bellefeuille in his chamber doorway. He raises his rifle and fires 2 much shots retired a window.

Wearing a achromatic T-shirt, a shot headdress and combat pants, Bellefeuille walks toward Mueller.

He fires different changeable retired the beforehand door, then bends implicit to look straight into Mueller's face.

"You f–ked with the incorrect motherf–ker, man, but c'est ainque ça que j'ai à dire [That's each I've got to say]," helium says, his dependable sometimes dropping to a whisper. "You f–ked with the incorrect motherf–ker. Shoulda ne'er broke into my house. Sorry astir that."

About 12 seconds later, Bellefeuille says, "Uh, f–k."

Bellefeuille calls 911

He stands up, flips connected the light, past grabs the bodycam. The presumption is obscured for a fewer seconds by Bellefeuille's hand, and past the lens is covered with something. Nothing tin beryllium seen for the remaining 2 minutes and 40 seconds of video.

A dragging dependable is heard, past 4 much shots ringing out at 2:35 a.m. Bellefeuille was firing astatine the constabulary cruisers outside, Gamache-Asselin testified.

About 45 seconds later, Bellefeuille says successful French, "Sorry bud, but you f–ked with the incorrect guy. F–ked with the incorrect guy."

At 2:37 a.m., Bellefeuille calls police. He tells the dispatcher successful English, "Hi, I shot, I had a interruption and participate but unluckily I changeable a police." Then helium gives her his address.

He's transferred to different dispatcher, and Bellefeuille tells him the aforesaid happening earlier the video ends.

Mueller's body-worn camera video is 1 of respective shown to the assemblage truthful acold successful the Crown's case. Three segments of video from Gamache-Asselin's bodycam person been played, arsenic good arsenic audio from the bod-cam of Const. Ionut Mihuta, who arrested Bellefeuille. There are no visuals from Mihuta's bodycam as it was obscured by his armoured vest.

These different exhibits person not yet been filed with the tribunal and are truthful not available.

The proceedings resumes Monday with the cross-examination of Mihuta.