N.W.T. Mountie's final moments recalled at trial
An N.W.T. Supreme Court jury heard testimony Monday from the woman who hosted the accused killer of an RCMP officer in Hay River two years ago.
Rachel Martel testified that Emrah Bulatci, 25, was selling crack cocaine from her home at 55 Woodland Drive at the time of the Oct. 6, 2007, shooting death of Const. Christopher Worden, 30.
Bulatci is charged with first-degree murder in Worden's death. His lawyers argue that while Bulatci did shoot the police officer four times, he did not intend to kill him.
Martel, 44, told the jury Monday that she was helping the Edmonton man sell drugs in Hay River in order to support her own $2,000-a-day crack addiction.
In the late-night hours before Worden was shot, Martel said she was dealing with buyers coming to her front door while Bulatci and two of his friends played video games in a side bedroom with the drugs.
She testified that a few minutes after Bulatci and his friends left her house at about 5 a.m. on Oct. 6, she heard what sounded like gunshots.
Jurors previously heard police radio recordings in which Worden told a dispatcher around 5:30 a.m. that he was going to 55 Woodland to respond to a call regarding a suicidal man.
On Monday, the court also heard from taxi driver Soren Neilsen, who said he picked up Bulatci and his two friends from Martel's house just as Worden was arriving.
Neilsen said Worden ordered Bulatci to put his hands on the back of the taxi, but Bulatci bolted just as the officer was about to search him.
Neilsen said Worden chased Bulatci on foot, running seven to eight metres behind Bulatci as they both disappeared into the darkness.
The taxi driver said he heard two rapid-fire gunshots moments later, followed by a pause, then two more gunshots.
Martel testified that she didn't know Worden had gone missing until after police began frantically searching for him around her house around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. Worden's empty police cruiser had been parked out front.
Martel said she looked out her window and saw a bylaw officer who was helping with the search begin vomiting.
"Then all of these cops started in motion and the ambulance came and took Worden away," Martel told the court.
The trial continues this week.