Officer recalls victim died in her arms
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Updated: November 16, 2009 4:40 PM
Const. Kathleen Murphy described Monday in court how she was “quite nervous, quite scared” when she and two other Saanich officers arrived at a housing complex in July 2004.
Minutes later, Majencio Camaso died in her arms after being shot by Const. Kristopher Dukeshire.
“I didn’t know what we were walking in to,” Murphy said, during the civil trial launched by Camaso’s family.
Murphy was in tears as she recalled what went through her mind when she heard three gunshots fired.
“I remember when I heard the shots, pulling out my firearm because I wasn’t sure really what had happened at that exact second. It was training, instinct,” she said.
Murphy recalls holding back the victim’s head to ensure his airway was clear, after running to the aid of Dukeshire and Camaso.
“You could hear gurgling sounds and his eyes were open,” she said. “And his eyes just looked up at me and then that was it. And I, I knew that he had died.”
Monday afternoon, cross-examination began on Const. Tara Bevington (formerly McNeil), the third officer that was on scene at the time of the shooting.
She was expected to complete her testimony yesterday.
kslavin@saanichnews.com
