LANGLEY, B.C. — Brittni Drummond’s three-year previous daughter, Rikki, doesn’t perceive why her “police officer buddy” has been exhibiting up on tv in the previous few days.
Rikki’s buddy was Ridge Meadows RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien, who was shot and killed whereas executing a warrant in Coquitlam, B.C., on Friday.
“She simply pointed him out and stated, ‘He’s on the TV? Why?” stated Drummond, a mom of two dwelling in close by Maple Ridge. “I advised her that he’s a hero, and he or she stated, ‘He’s catching the mad folks.’
Nicholas Bellemare, 25, has been charged with first diploma homicide and tried homicide with a firearm within the taking pictures incident that killed O’Brien and injured two different officers.
After the incident, Drummond wrote an emotional publish on Fb, detailing assembly O’Brien on-duty on Sept. 11 whereas watching Rikki bike round their neighbourhood.
Drummond, responding through textual content on social media, stated the usually shy baby gravitated towards the police officer, hanging out with O’Brien for about half-hour as they walked again to his patrol automobile to get stickers and a slurpee coupon.
“He was simply tremendous good,” Drummond stated. “He was making jokes. He was actually humorous. I simply felt prefer it was scorching, he had hiked throughout in his heavy gear and he was in such good spirits and took the time to talk with the neighbours and Rikki.
“She was simply smiling and stated she wished to maintain going with him.”
The interplay doesn’t shock Jeanette Martin, creator and co-founder of the Gratitude and Appreciation Summit, an inspirational and motivational occasion launched in 2020.
Martin, who’s a buddy of O’Brien and his spouse, described the police officer as humble, real and really humorous, by no means sustaining a stoic face and letting his character shine by each in private interactions and the images posted on-line by household.
Whereas O’Brien was embellished for bravery within the rescue of victims throughout a house invasion inside months of becoming a member of the RCMP in 2016, Martin stated what stood out was his means to speak and join with folks.
“He was greater than only a police officer,” Martin stated.
“”He got here to the power with these mushy expertise of understanding psychological well being, understanding that everyone must be appreciated for the place they’re at in life.
“He was one which was not afraid to point out his true humanity. He was himself, and that’s what he delivered to the power; it’s that sort humbleness, out to the world.”
O’Brien joined the RCMP in his mid-’40s after beforehand working aith at-risk youth. In a speech on the Gratitude and Appreciation Summit’s October 2020 occasion, the police officer stated he had all the time wished to be in legislation enforcement and joined the Mounties for “fulfilment.”
Within the speech, O’Brien credited his household as the primary purpose he was in a position to pursue his desires and grow to be a police officer after combating by private, profession and relationship challenges earlier in his life.
“All of us labored at it collectively to get to the place we at the moment are,” O’Brien stated in a recording of the 2020 occasion. “So these are my moments of the place I really feel the gratitude in my life, and that’s the place I search the gratitude in my life.
“You’ve your loved ones there who’re all the time supporting you and all the time pushing you to do higher, and simply making you typically completely satisfied,” he stated. “And that’s what you want. That’s the place I discovered my gratitude.”
O’Brien leaves behind a spouse and 6 kids.
Martin stated the household had simply purchased their “dream residence” a year-and-a-half in the past in Langley Township, B.C.
She stated O’Brien’s spouse posted on Fb about being “damaged into 1,000,000 items,” however the Langley group is already rallying round her and their kids to help them in any means they’ll.
“Our group, our sphere of mates love and adore them,” Martin stated. “We’re gutted.”
Drummond stated she has not advised Rikki but of O’Brien’s dying however did take the lady to the procession in entrance of the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment honouring the police officer on Friday.
“We simply advised her we had been going to see police automobiles,” Drummond stated. “Her face after we received there appeared very upset, nearly crying. She might sense one thing was flawed. We needed to preserve telling her it was OK.”
Drummond stated she herself continues to be in shock over O’Brien’s dying after seeing his picture in media stories.
“It’s exhausting to imagine it,” Drummond stated. “It looks like he was simply right here.”
The Nationwide Police Federation Benevolent Basis has an energetic GoFundMe marketing campaign for O’Brien’s household and has raised almost $95,000 as of Sunday afternoon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Sept. 24, 2023.
