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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Conversations between negotiator Const. Todd Scaplen and Karen Lander started off calmly but were out of control by the end.

She told Scaplen that everything was alright and he had nothing to worry about.

"I was kind of depressed earlier but I'm all good," Lander said to him at the beginning of the four-hour standoff.

Scaplen continued the conversation by asking Lander about her family, how she was feeling and what the plans were for the day.

"I'm just going to relax, chillax, take it easy," she said. "I'm not going to do anything drastic so it's all good. Nothing to worry about there, baby."

Scaplen told her he is still concerned and would like her to come outside so police can make sure she is alright. The two have some more back and forth until Lander hangs up.

It will be the first of a number of hangups last March 14. That day Scaplen made numerous calls to Lander to try and convince her to leave the residence peacefully. He was able to speak to her about six separate times while many other calls went unanswered.

The tapes between Lander and Scaplen were played at the coroner's inquest into her death on Friday. Lander was shot four times by police after coming out of a friend's house with a rifle.

At one point in Scaplen's conversation with Lander, she and a man inside the house with her tell Scaplen they are coming out but no one emerges.

In the following calls things seem to take a turn for the worse.

Below, Yellowknifer has included edited dialogue taken from RCMP recordings made of Scaplen and Lander. The exerts are taken from one of the later conversations the two had.

Lander: Nobody cares. So you can shoot me if you want OK, kill me because I want to be killed. I just want to die.

Scaplen: No we don't want to do that. I just want to get you some help and talk to you and you know maybe we can talk and have a plan together.

Lander: I have a rifle and I'm going to use it. I'm going to use it. I'm going to kill you guys. I'll shoot you bastards. You can shoot me all you want because I want to die, man.

Scaplen: No, we don't want to do that and we don't want you to die. We just want to see, you know, sometimes some people need some extra help to get through problems and there is nothing wrong with that.

Lander: I'm going to come out with an unarmed rifle and I'm going to point at you guys and you guys are going to shoot at me.

Scaplen: Karen don't say that.

Lander: Just shoot me until I'm dead, OK?

Scaplen: No we don't want that to happen ...

Lander: Because I'm going to do that. I'm going to do that. I'm going to come out with a goddamn rifle.

Scaplen: But you would be hurting a lot of people if you did that.

* * *

(There is some back and forth between the two and then a click is heard on the tape. It is believed that Lander tried to shoot herself but was unsuccessful.)

Lander: Why didn't the rifle work?

Scaplen: Whether it's from God or wherever who it's from, it's a sign that nobody wants you to get hurt. Your friends and your family.

Lander: I had the rifle ready to blow my head off and I put the shell in there and ... I can't even (sobbing). I can't (sobbing).

Scaplen: Well Karen I'm glad it didn't work. I'm glad that we can talk some more. I'm glad we can try and work things out and you can come out, we can try and look at a plan to help you through this and with your children, talk to your children more and see your children more.

Lander: I wanted that rifle to shoot me.

Scaplen: Karen I'm really happy that didn't happen to you.

Lander: I really wanted that rifle to shoot me in the head.

Scaplen: I know you did. I can hear it in your voice and I know you were serious. Karen, let's look at other ways to help you, let's look at other ways for you to be safe and everybody to be safe.

Lander: What the (sound is muffled. She says something about going home and hanging herself).

Scaplen: I don't want you to hurt yourself Karen, OK? Do you want to come outside and we'll talk some more?

Lander: Are you guys outside?

Scaplen: Ya, we're outside.

Lander: Are you guys outside (where I am)?

Scaplen: I don't know the number but I think it's the house where you are. We're outside just to make sure you're safe. Tomorrow's another day Karen, OK? When you clear your head and some of the booze comes out of your system ...

Lander hangs up. She and Scaplen have a couple short conversations before Lander comes out with a gun and is shot by police.

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