OLDS — With last week's death of an Ontario Police Service officer and two others injured while responding to a disturbance call at a home, Canadians are once again reminded during National Police Week of the sacrifice police officers make when serving their communities.
It was just the latest in a recent spat of officers dying while on duty this year.
A handful of Olds protective services personnel attended a regimental funeral in Edmonton for two Edmonton Police Service officers killed while on duty in March.
Sgt. Greg Beach said a few protective services personnel, including Olds RCMP officers, made the trip.
The funeral for constables Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan was held March 27. Beach said about 1,500 to 2,000 police officers from across Canada and New York state attended.
They marched from the legislature to Rogers Place for the ceremony.
Ryan and Jordan were shot and killed on March 16 by a 16-year-old boy while responding to a domestic disturbance. Police say the boy killed himself after a tussle during which he severely injured his mother.
Beach and senior peace officer Paul Wright gave their thoughts on the event during an interview with news media March 29.
“Those are sobering moments. The flip side is that some of the members, they hadn’t seen some of their troop mates for 10 years,” Beach said.
“So you’re standing, waiting to march and someone taps you on the shoulder and it’s like – it was your pit partner or a guy or girl that you went through Depot with. And so now you’ve rekindled that kind of relationship, right?
“So it’s sad and happy, kind of all kind of rolled together, where you meet those folks that you haven’t seen in several years.”
Beach said officers were buoyed by the huge crowds that lined the streets as they marched from the legislative grounds to Rogers Place.
“I’ve been to these funerals before, unfortunately. And it is a great feeling to see that support on the side of the road and people cheering you on. It kind of makes you feel that you’re wanted, so to speak,” he said.
"The job that you’re doing, people are recognizing the efforts that you’re putting in. It’s a nice feeling.”
The danger of their job was rammed home once again on March 28 when one Quebec police officer was killed and another wounded while trying to arrest a man during a domestic dispute.
Sgt. Maureen Breau, who had been with the Surete du Quebec for more than 20 years, was stabbed to death in the incident.
“It’s a dangerous job that we do, and we’re all aware of it,” Beach said.
“I mean, we are the line between the criminal element and the population, right? Your communities.
“It's a dangerous job; we’re put in dangerous situations and unfortunately the outcome is sometimes loss of life – on both sides.”
