Edmonton officer's deaths in the line of duty rocks policing community here at home
Local police officials are heartbroken after the latest deaths of two officers on duty in Edmonton.
The shooting deaths of Edmonton police constables Travis Jordan, 35, and Brett Ryan, 30, on Thursday are the sixth and seventh deaths of officers in the line of duty across Canada in the last six months.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
On Friday, Barrie Police spokesperson Peter Leon told CTV News speaking about their deaths was admittedly difficult but important during what he calls "unprecedented" times.
"I've been involved with law enforcement for 35 years, and I've never seen a stretch where we've lost so much life," Leon said.
Leon said their deaths hit close to home after a close encounter last month.
In that instance, a Barrie officer was stabbed by a person in distress while attending a wellness check at an apartment complex in Early February.
"Every day, our officers put on the uniform and are called to a scene. There is always danger," Leon added. "There's no such thing as a routine call."
Three of the seven deaths have connections to Simcoe County.
South Simcoe police constables Devon Northrup and Morgan Russell were killed while responding to a disturbance call at a home last fall.
Two months later, OPP Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala of Barrie was killed near Hagersville, about 45 kilometres southwest of Hamilton, while responding to a call about a vehicle in a ditch.
"In this case (Edmonton), obviously they didn't know they were going to be met with gunfire, very similar to the situation in South Simcoe," said Chris Lewis, CTV Public Safety Analyst and former OPP Commissioner. "Ninety-nine per cent of these calls end up with maybe an arrest or walking away without a lot of violence, but never routine. They're obviously calls that can go violent."
The Police Association of Ontario is calling for action as police-related deaths continue rising nationwide.
"All of those instances, they were targeted, and they were ambushed," said Mark Baxter, Police Association of Ontario President. "They never had an opportunity to defend themselves, and it's really shaking the police community."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.