25-year-old Coquitlam man charged with 1st degree murder in killing of Mountie

In News by Anywhere Vancouver

A 25-year-old Coquitlam man has been charged with one count of First Degree Murder and one count of Attempted Murder with a firearm in connection to the shooting death of a 51-year-old Mountie.

On Friday morning, Cst. Rick (Fredrick) O’Brien was fatally shot as police were executing a warrant in Coquitlam in relation to a “drug investigation originating from Maple Ridge”.

As the search warrant was being executed, O’Brien and the other attending officers “became engaged in an altercation with a man which resulted in multiple officers being injured and the man being shot”.

“Cst. O’Brien succumbed to his injuries on scene, despite the best efforts of BC Emergency Health Services,” said the RCMP in a statement.

The other two attending officers were transported to hospital where they were treated for injuries.

25-year-old Nicholas Bellemare has been charged with one count of First Degree Murder and one count of Attempted Murder with a firearm. Bellemare remains in police custody.

“This is a profound loss and I understand it will have a lasting effect on Cst. O’Brien’s family, friends, colleagues and the community,” says Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, Office- in-Charge of IHIT.

“We wish to send our sincere condolences to everyone impacted by this tragic event.”

IHIT is handling the investigation alongside the Ridge Meadows and Coquitlam RCMP Detachments, the BC Coroners Service, and the Integrated Forensic Identification Section (IFIS).

Spread the love