CALVIN Junior Powery-Hooker and Nathan James De Jong who pleaded guilty last June to the August 2019 second-degree murder of Hells Angel Suminder Singh Grewal (who was also known as “Allie” and had joined the Hardside chapter in Surrey a few years ago) were recently sentenced to life in prison and will not be eligible for parole for 20 years.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Brundrett’s oral ruling on September 10 that was posted recently states that the two offenders were originally charged with first-degree murder in relation to the shooting of Suminder Singh Grewal on the morning of August 2, 2019, in Surrey. The two men followed Grewal from his home and then shot him multiple times as he sat in his car at the Starbucks drive-thru at the Southpoint Exchange Mall in South Surrey. After fleeing the scene in a vehicle and a subsequent high-speed police chase, the two offenders were arrested and remained in custody.

According to the ruling, Grewal drove his two-door Dodge Viper to the drive-thru window at a Starbucks located at 3061 152 Street in Surrey. Grewal was the sole occupant of his vehicle and was unarmed. When he arrived at the drive-thru window, Grewal ordered a latte from a Starbucks employee.

The Starbucks was located at the Southpoint Exchange Mall, a shopping plaza which contained a large open-air parking area fronted on numerous commercial establishments of various sizes, including a Save on Foods, Canadian Tire, Envision Financial and Staples.

When Grewal attended the Starbucks, the weather was sunny and warm, and the Southpoint Exchange Mall plaza was busy with pedestrians and vehicles. It was during regular business hours. Pedestrians were walking in the immediate vicinity of the Starbucks, and vehicle traffic was consistent throughout the plaza. As Grewal pulled up to the drive-thru window at Starbucks, there were two cars ahead of him and two cars behind him in the Starbucks drive-thru line. Customers and several employees were in the Starbucks.

According to the ruling, at approximately 9:20 a.m., a few moments after Grewal pulled up to the Starbucks drive-thru window and placed his order, Powery-Hooker, ran up to the driver’s side door of Grewal’s vehicle and De Jong ran up to the passenger’s side door.

Both Powery-Hooker and De Jong were wearing face coverings, all black clothing, and blue nitrile gloves. Powery-Hooker was carrying an AR-15 rifle and De Jong was carrying a .40 calibre Springfield Armory Model XDM-40 semi-automatic pistol. These were restricted firearms and neither Powery-Hooker nor De Jong were licensed to carry them.

When they arrived at Grewal’s vehicle, the two men shot at Grewal a total of 12 times through the windows of his vehicle while he was sitting in the driver’s seat. Powery-Hooker and De Jong immediately fled the area.

Multiple civilians were nearby when Mr. Grewal was shot and immediately went to assist him. Paramedics arrived shortly after. Despite their efforts to assist him, Grewal was declared deceased at 9:34 a.m. by paramedics.

The cause of Grewal’s death was multiple gunshot wounds.

Many civilians were nearby and witnessed the shooting of Mr. Grewal or what occurred immediately before or after the shooting. The shooting of Grewal was captured on dash cam video with audio from a vehicle which was two vehicles behind Grewal’s in the Starbucks drive-thru line.

At the time of his death, Grewal was 43 years old. He was a husband and a father.

The ruling gives a detailed account of the shooters’ flight from police and their capture. The Crown tendered a video of the high-speed police chase through Surrey immediately after the offence. There was a significant use and rapid deployment of police resources. This included regular-duty police officers, specialized forensics officers, police dog services, and air support unit (Air-1) members.

According to the ruling, Powery-Hooker and De Jong were asked to kill Grewal and they agreed to do so. They were to be financially compensated for doing so by having debts cancelled. They obtained the Aviator, the AR-I5 and the .40 Calibre Pistol to kill Grewal. They also obtained in advance the blue nitrile gloves they were wearing when they shot Grewal. A jerry can of gasoline was located in the rear of the Aviator after De Jong was arrested.

The judge noted in his ruling: “While there was passing reference to Mr. Grewal being a biker, the lifestyle and character of the deceased is not legally relevant to sentencing these offenders, other than perhaps to offer some insight as to why the offence occurred. However, the Court was not provided with more detail as to precisely how or why Mr. Grewal became a target for murder. I would not speculate in this regard, and it is not necessary to consider any greater context in determining the appropriate sentence.”

Regarding the victim impact information, the ruling noted: “Mr. Grewal’s murder and his sudden loss have had a devastating impact on his family. He was a 43-year-old husband, father, family member, and friend much loved by his family and friends.

“The victim impact statement, read in court by Mr. Grewal’s sister, conveyed the profound sense of loss his family has suffered, the pain and despair they have experienced, and the grief process they were forced to unexpectedly endure. It is clear that the crime has left the family feeling damaged, powerless, and scarred. Ms. Grewal has pointed out that the loss of Mr. Grewal is all the more destructive because, being a South Asian family, they consider family the foundation of their existence, and that foundation has been forever shattered.

“I accept Ms. Grewal’s expression of the family’s grief over the loss of their family member.”

For the ruling, visit:

https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcsc/doc/2021/2021bcsc2005/2021bcsc2005.html

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