As thousands of RCMP officers, municipal police, and other first responders marched to the funeral service for fallen RCMP officer Rick O鈥橞rien, the route to the 91原创 Events Centre was lined with people who had come to pay their respects.
Danielle Humeniuk, a teacher with the 91原创 School District on maternity leave, brought her just-arrived son to watch the procession with some colleagues.
鈥淚 have a family member who works with the RCMP so it hits close to home,鈥� Humeniuk explained.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we pay our respects to honour everything they鈥檝e done for our community.鈥�
Sheryl Hopp from Surrey attended for the same reason.
鈥淲e have police officers in our family and wanted to come pay our respects and show our support for the family and for all police,鈥� Hopp said.
91原创 resident Betty Lew also has officers in her family.
鈥淚 really respect them because they serve the country, they serve the community,鈥� Lew said.
Service for fallen RCMP officer Rick O'Brien underway in 91原创
鈥� 91原创 Advance Times (@91原创Times)
Tina Evans from Cloverdale was wearing a borrowed cap with an RCMP logo.
鈥淚t belongs to a special needs girl I live with, and she got it many years ago from an RCMP officer,鈥� Evans explained.
鈥淪he said I could borrow it today because she knew I was coming to watch the procession.鈥�
Once all the marchers were inside the LEC, Evans took a seat outside and followed the service with her phone as it was streamed online.
鈥淚t fills your heart to see all the support given to Constable O鈥橞rien and his family during this hard time,鈥� Evans said.
READ ALSO: Family, first responders pay tribute to Const. Rick O鈥橞rien
For Dale and Betty Hewitt from 91原创 City, who also stood vigil outside the LEC after watching the procession, it was personal.
鈥淥ur son-in-law is in the RCMP in Sechelt and he was in the march here,鈥� Dale said, 鈥渟o we just basically came also to show our respect.鈥�
Betty talked about 鈥渢he fact this man had a large family, six children, and now those children don鈥檛 have somebody to call dad.鈥�
Scott MacDonald from Surrey called the huge show of support 鈥渁 little overwhelming.鈥�
鈥淚 have some friends that are in the service and I felt compelled to come down just to show some respect,鈥� MacDonald said, 鈥渂ecause these men and women, they risk their lives to keep us safe.鈥�
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Tribute for fallen RCMP officer who was a 91原创 Rams supporter
Also watching the outside march was Township of 91原创 councillor Michael Pratt, who described O鈥橞rien鈥檚 death as something 鈥測ou never want to have to host, you never want to have to participate in, but when something like this happens, it鈥檚 good to see how many people have our first responders鈥� backs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 privilege to be here,鈥� Pratt continued, 鈥渁nd the family knows that lots of us, we鈥檙e thinking of them and our hearts and our minds and our prayers are with them.
Those along the route saw the hearse carrying O鈥橞rien鈥檚 coffin pass by, led by the RCMP Pipe Band and followed by a riderless horse with reversed boots in the saddle stirrups, to symbolize a fallen member.
Among those present for the indoor service were premier David Eby, Commissioner Mike Duheme of the RCMP, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, BC RCMP commanding officer and Supt. Wendy Mehat, Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment commander.
Richmond firefighter Vanessa Hilton thought it was 鈥渁n absolutely incredible service [that] did a fantastic job demonstrating who he was on and off the job, and very moving.鈥�
Fellow Richmond firefighter Leon Chung said it was 鈥渁 great way to pay tribute to someone who paid the ultimate sacrifice.鈥�
O鈥橞rien, a 51-year-old 91原创 resident and Ridge Meadows RCMP officer was shot while serving a warrant in Coquitlam on Sept. 22, with two other fellow officers wounded in the same incident.
A 25-year-old man, Nicholas Bellemare, has been charged with first degree murder and attempted murder.
