LOCAL POLICE MOURN FALLEN OFFICERS

The community has responded, letting Quesnel's RCMP officers know how much
their services are respected and how badly it feels in the wake of the
tragic shootings in Mayerthorpe, Alta.

Cards of sympathy, flower arrangements and verbal condolences have come
into the Quesnel detachment and Staff Sgt. Keith Hildebrand says it means a
great deal.

"We'd really like to thank the community for the support they've shown us,"
he said Monday.

Constables Anthony Gordon, Leo Johnston, Brock Myrol and Peter Schiemann,
were shot and killed last Thursday after being contacted by a bailiff
trying to seize a truck from James Roszko. Upon investigation, evidence of
a pot growing operation was found. Two officers stayed to guard the farm
overnight and two more arrived in the morning.

They were ambushed and shot by Roszko before he turned his gun on himself.

Sgt. Gary Clark-Marlow said the mood in the detachment was understandably
sombre once word of the shooting got out.

"We're human. We're the same as everybody else," he explained. "We'll be
affected for awhile. We're grieving together and we'll move along."

Pastor Randy Evans came to the detachment to give shaken officers someone
to talk to and help them with the grieving process. One of Quesnel's
younger constables was a troopmate (32 members who do their initial
training together in Regina for six months) of one of the constables shot.
Several others knew one or more of the officers.

"It hit a little closer to home than we would have liked," added Clark-Marlow.

Mayor Nate Bello and Coun. Sushil Thapar offered their condolences.

"We know what it's like to be a small community where the RCMP is part of
our family," said Bello.

He has asked that the flag at City Hall fly at half-staff until the
conclusion of the national memorial service set for Thursday.

Losing a partner is something every RCMP officer dreads, said Hildebrand.
He lost a partner in Surrey when he was in his third year of service.

"Those memories come back," he said. "When something like this happens, it
shows you have to be on your toes for your entire shift." Hildebrand said
safety is always considered when police go into a grow-op situation, or any
other for that matter.

"Safety is always an issue when we're dealing with business," he said. "The
business we're in, we're dealing with dangerous people." Hildebrand said
instances such as the Mayerthorpe shooting don't change how police do their
jobs. And he added that he couldn't be happier with his staff.

"The officers here are doing great work," he said. "I'm really proud of the
people who work here."