Fallen Canadian police and peace officers memorialized Sunday
CBC News | Posted: September 28, 2014 2:50 PM | Last Updated: September 28, 2014
Hundreds of officers to gather on Parliament Hill to honour 5 fallen officers
Hundreds of Canadian police and peace officers gathered on Parliament Hill Sunday to remember colleagues killed in the line of duty, including the three RCMP officers killed in a shooting in Moncton, N.B., in June.
The Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial takes place on the last Sunday of September each year.
Five officers were honoured this year:
- RCMP Const. Douglas J. Larche.
- RCMP Const. Dave J. Ross.
- RCMP Const. Fabrice G. Gevaudan.
- Toronto police Const. John Zivicic.
- Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment conservation officer Justin A. Knackstedt.
The three Mounties were killed during a shooting spree on June 4 in Moncton, N.B., that also left two other RCMP officers injured. Justin Bourque, 24, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the shootings. He has yet to be sentenced.
Zivcic died after his unmarked cruiser was involved in a collision in Toronto last November.
Knackstedt was killed after being hit by an SUV while he was directing traffic at the scene of a crash south of Saskatoon in May 2013
The first Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial in 1978 honoured 14 officers. There are now more than 840 names of fallen officers on the list.
For each of the past 23 years, an average of six to eight officers have died in the line of duty.