Hundreds of Edmonton police officers, Alberta first responders and other Edmontonians lined the streets of Alberta’s capital on Tuesday to pay tribute to two slain constables as their bodies were taken to a funeral home.
Const. Brett Ryan, 30, and Const.Travis Jordan, 35, were shot and killed in the line of duty on Thursday after responding to a family violence call at an apartment building in Edmonton’s Inglewood neighbourhood.
The caskets holding Ryan and Jordan’s bodies, which were decorated in Canadian flags, were loaded into hearses outside the city’s medical examiner’s office at about noon on Tuesday as members of their family stood close by. Members of the Edmonton Police Service’s Guard of Honour, a group of EPS members who also serve as ambassadors to the public, were also there while Chief Dale McFee was standing with other police officers on a sidewalk nearby.
The five-kilometre procession route from the medical examiner’s office to a south Edmonton funeral home had street lights adorned with blue ribbons to honour the lives of the officers.
A Global News crew speaking with people on the procession route heard from many Edmontonians who spoke about why they came out to pay tribute to Jordan and Ryan.
A retired RCMP officer said he believes it is important for him to publicly show he cares about those who died and what happened. A military veteran noted many police officers showed public support for the Canadian Armed Forces after some of his colleagues were killed in the war in Afghanistan and he wanted to do the same for Ryan and Jordan.
On Monday, police announced that a regimental funeral for Ryan and Jordan will be held at Rogers Place on Monday, March 27.
The announcement came after police revealed over the weekend that autopsies confirmed Ryan and Jordan died of gunshot wounds and their deaths were confirmed to be homicides.
Police have said the two officers were shot and killed by a 16-year-old male when they arrived at the call on Thursday, noting it appears neither officer had a chance to pull out their gun and return fire. Police said investigators believe the suspect’s mother tried to wrestle the gun from her son after he fired the shots and that she too was then shot and seriously injured.
Ryan had been with the EPS force for five-and-a-half years. In a post on social media last week, his mother said he was about to become a father for the first time, with his wife expecting to give birth this summer. Ryan lived in Spruce Grove and members of the community described him as a pillar of the community and said he was a longtime minor hockey referee.
Jordan had been with the EPS for eight-and-a-half years. Many people have said he will be remembered for his kindness. As an officer, he once gained attention for helping someone to brush snow off their car instead of giving them a ticket for having too much snow on it. He grew up in Nova Scotia and his family still lives in the province.
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On Tuesday, Keith Irving, a Nova Scotia MLA, rose in that province’s legislature to talk about the two officers, whom he recognized for their courage and selflessness. During an emotional address, he noted Jordan comes from his riding.
“The sacrifice and dedication of our law enforcement officers cannot be overstated,” he told his fellow lawmakers. “Every day they put their lives on the line to protect our communities and ensure our safety.”
Irving then asked for the legislature to hold a moment of silence in honour of Jordan and Ryan.
In the House of Commons on Monday, MPs also held a moment of silence to pay tribute to the officers.
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