This image of an SUV and a damaged police cruiser was released at the inquest into the death of Kyle Tait, 16. (New Westminster Police Service)

A police officer who witnessed a fatal shooting three years ago told a coroner's inquest in Burnaby that she feared for the life of her colleague and she also was prepared to fire her gun.

The inquest is investigating the death of 16-year-old Kyle Tait, who was in a sport utility vehicle when he was shot by New Westminster police Const. Todd Sweet following a short police chase.

On Friday, New Westminster Const. Shawn Machesney told the inquest "she's no friend" of Sweet, but she would have fired her gun if her colleague hadn't beat her to it.

On the morning of Aug. 23, 2005, Sweet chased a stolen SUV that sped away from a roadblock to Burns Avenue in Burnaby, where he cornered it with his vehicle.

Machesney said she arrived to see Sweet get out of his cruiser and draw his gun before shouting orders for the driver of the SUV to stop.

Instead, the SUV rammed Sweet's cruiser twice, Machesney testified.

"I thought I was watching Todd Sweet die," she said, adding Sweet looked scared as he drew his weapon.

The SUV then reversed and accelerated a third time, and that's when Sweet fired three shots at the vehicle, she said.

Machesney testified she had drawn her own pistol and would have used deadly force herself, if Sweet had not fired first.

Her testimony bolstered Sweet's own version of events, but it didn't agree entirely with Sweet's testimony. He told the inquest earlier this week his cruiser was rammed once by the SUV before he fired his gun.

And later in the week, the inquest heard from the driver and passengers of the SUV, who testified their vehicle wasn't moving at all when Sweet shot at it.

Sweet also testified earlier in the week that he believed the SUV might kill his partner, who was trapped inside the damaged police cruiser, if he did not stop the SUV from ramming it again.