The first-degree murder trial of a former Humboldt Mountie began in Ottawa last week.
Kevin Gregson, 45, is charged with first degree murder in the death of Const. Eric Czapnik, 51, who was stabbed outside an Ottawa hospital emergency room in the early morning hours of December 29, 2009.
Gregson is also charged with robbery in relation to a carjacking the night before the stabbing.
He has entered not guilty pleas to both charges. However, according to an agreed statement of facts between prosecution and defence, Gregson does not deny that he stabbed Czapnik in the neck during an altercation in the hospital parking lot. He also does not deny that he knew Czapnik was a police officer.
The trial began with the prosecution presenting its case.
Crown prosecutor Meaghan Cunningham stated that Gregson was "dressed for battle" when he went hunting for a police officer hours before he stabbed Czapnik to death.
"He went to Civic Hospital that morning intending to confront a police officer," Cunningham is quoted as telling jurors at the opening of the trial. "Any officer would do. It just happened that Const. Czapnik was the first officer he found."
Gregson, she claimed, donned two bulletproof vests and carried two knives, a BB gun and handcuffs on December 28.
Cunningham told the court that Gregson's RCMP and special survival training meant he was trained to kill, and predicted that the prosecution would be able to prove he killed Czapnik deliberately.
The intentional killing of a police officer during the course of his or her duties is automatically first-degree murder in Canada.
Among the first of 20 witnesses the Crown intended to call over the course of a week at the trial were paramedics who assisted in capturing Gregson and giving aid to Czapnik on the night in question.
Craig McInnes, Amanda Walkowiak and Patricia St. Denis were in a room off the ambulance bay of the Ottawa Hospital's Civic Campus at 3:40 a.m. when one noticed a car pull in.
A few minutes later, they testified, all hell broke loose.
They noticed an altercation outside between a police officer and another man. They sprinted to the parking lot to see if they could help.
MacInnes reported that he rounded a police cruiser where earlier, he had noticed an officer writing a report.
The officer, Czapnik, was pinned beneath Gregson on the ground. Gregson, he said, was using his knees to restrain Czapnik, and was punching him rapidly - between six and 10 times.
MacInnes says he jumped on Gregson's back, locked his arms around his neck, and pulled him off Czapnik.
The police officer's jugular had been slashed, he said, and blood bubbled from his neck. Czapnik struggled to his feet, unable to speak, but managed to make it into the hospital.
MacInnes, who had pinned down Gregson, said he asked him why he had attacked the police officer.
"All he had to do was give up his gun," Gregson told him. "It didn't have to end this way. All he had to do was give me his gun."
MacInnes told the court he responded: "No police officer ever gives up his gun."
Walkowiak, who was right behind MacInnes, screamed that Gregson was still holding a knife, and felt sure it was headed towards McInnes' face. She kicked Gregson twice between the legs, and stomped on his wrist, and the knife came loose. She kicked it away.
St. Denis had thrown her body on Gregson, helping MacInnes hold him down. She also testified that Gregson told her he attacked Czapnik because he wanted a gun.
Together, the paramedics cuffed Gregson with Czapnik's handcuffs, and put Gregson in the back of the nearby police car.
"He was very smirky. Extremely calm and smug," St. Denis testified. They noticed that Gregson had bandages on either side of his neck. He told her he had tried to cut his own jugular earlier that day.
Gregson was strangely emotionless, MacInnes reported.
A forensic specialist testified later that day, and pieces of evidence, including Czapnik's belt and gun, a folding knife, handcuffs, BB gun, Gregson's RCMP ID, and bloody pieces of body armour worn by both men were shown to the court.
Later in the week, testimony focused on Gregson's troubled past with the RCMP. He was sworn in as a Mountie on August 4, 1998, and was stationed in Saskatchewan, including in Humboldt, until 2008, when he was ordered discharged.
At his postings, he was given commendations for bravery, and also accused of using excessive force on a prisoner.
In Humboldt, he was said to be "remote" from his colleagues, and started to display bouts of anger. Eventually, he went on sick leave, and a note was placed into his file expressing concern about his fitness to be a front-line officer.
He returned to work in 2005, but was restricted to desk duties. He moved to Regina, and was charged with assaulting a pastor at his church, who testified at the trial on Friday.
Gregson was placed on suspension for two years before being ordered discharged in 2008.
He appealed the discharge, and visited the home of his commanding officer, something he was banned from doing afterwards. However, he then visited the Ottawa home of the RCMP commissioner carrying a plate of cookies.
Once again, he was ordered to resign.
He received his RCMP salary until November 2009.
The trial continues this week.
The defence is expected to lay out its case after the Crown has presented its evidence.
