STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS
Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Eric Mueller, who died Thursday at Bourget,
was the fifth police officer to be fatally shot in Ontario since September. In Ottawa, 14 police officers have been killed or died from on-duty incidents over the past 95 years.
Constable Ireneusz ‘Eric’ Czapnik:
1958-2009
A proud Polish Canadian, Czapnik was killed while on duty on Dec. 29, 2009. He was investigating an assault and had brought the victim to the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital when, while completing a report in his cruiser, he was stabbed by a man outside the emergency entrance. Czapnik died from his injuries shortly after that.
Constable David Utman: 1945-1983
On Oct. 14, 1983, Utman stopped by a shopping mall to speak to an employee when he was approached at a cafe by a convict who pointed a revolver and fired a shot that went just above Utman’s head. After trying to calm the man down, backing him out of the cafe, Utman, 38, was shot in the chest and killed. He was later awarded the Ontario Medal of Police Bravery.
Constable Russell O’Connor: 1942-1983
O’Connor died while answering a police call on his motorcycle on Sept. 7, 1983, when the vehicle went out of control and slammed into a Queensway median. He was rushed to the hospital, but died there. The Ottawa Police Service removed its entire fleet of motorcycles from the roads following his death.
Constable Kenneth Swett: 1951-1981
On July 17, 1981, Swett was driving a man to Petawawa from Ottawa when the vehicle of an impaired driver, for whom Sweet had received a “vehicle for observation” call, veered into his lane and struck the cruiser, killing everyone in both vehicles.
Constable David Kirkwood: 1955-1977
Kirkwood died on July 11, 1977, while aiding in the arrest of a 22-year-old man at a home on Gladstone Avenue. While approaching the scene, Kirkwood was hit by a bullet fired by the suspect through a side window. He died on the scene. An ensuing three-hour gun battle involved more 50 officers and led to the discovery of an arsenal of weapons.
Sergeant David Tuckey: 1933-1970
On Jan. 21, 1964, Tuckey was returning to the police station when he was thrown from his motorcycle after a collision with a car, causing extensive head injuries. Five years later, the 37-year-old collapsed and died of cardiac arrest.
Constable John Robert Maki: 1935-1966
On April 4, 1966, Maki was responding to a complaint of a man “walking on a road discarding his clothing.” After being taken to the Royal Ottawa Sanatorium, the man tried to flee, taking Maki’s revolver from his holster and firing five shots, killing the 30-year-old.
Constable Jeffrey Armstrong: 1940-1963
Armstrong died in his first week of police duty on May 13, 1963. After an officer noticed dust on his service revolver, Armstrong removed the gun from his holster to clean it and accidentally fired the weapon, with a bullet striking him in the stomach. Forty minutes later, he died of internal bleeding.
Detective Thomas Stoneman: 1908-1945
On Oct. 24, 1945, at around 1 a.m., Stoneman confronted suspects who had been reported for breaking into cars. One individual shot the officer in the chest. He died five days later.
Constable Harold Dent: 1903-1940
Dent was shot on
June 20, 1940, after approaching a suspicious person at the Navan train station. Wounded in the abdomen, the officer died within an hour.
Constable John Montgomery: 1908-1931
Montgomery was killed in a head-on collision on July 31, 1931, while on motorcycle patrol.
Constable Miles Campbell: 1899-1929
At 4 a.m. on June 9, 1929, Campbell stopped a suspicious vehicle while patrolling on Montreal Road. While he stood outside the car, another vehicle hit Campbell, throwing him over 10 metres and killing him.
Constable George Constantineau: 1915-1954
Constantineau was returning to the station on Nov. 17, 1954, when his motorcycle struck the end of a boulevard curb. The bike flipped, throwing him. He died from his injuries.
Constable Hiram F. O’Callaghan: 1884-1928
O’Callaghan was driving his motorcycle on the Prescott Highway on Jan. 12, 1928, when icy conditions caused the motorcycle to skid into the front of a truck. Thrown six metres, O’Callaghan was killed instantly.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2023