B.C. RCMP Const. Rick O'Brien was shot and killed a year ago Sunday

The Ridge Meadows Mountie has been honoured in several ways since he was shot during a police call in Coquitlam on Sept. 22, 2023

Published Sep 22, 2024  •  2 minute read

The new cenotaph outside Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment was unveiled on Friday. Photo by Ridge Meadows RCMP

Sunday is the first anniversary of the death of Ridge Meadows RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien in the line of duty.

On Sept. 22, 2023, O’Brien was shot and killed while assisting Coquitlam RCMP executing a drug-related search warrant in Coquitlam.

O’Brien was “best known for his desire to create a positive relationship between law enforcement and youth in our community,” said Supt. Wendy Mehat in a news release marking the sombre date.

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O’Brien was a frequent contact with youth at schools and youth lounges in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, said Mehat, and he “will always be remembered as kind and compassionate, with an incredibly witty sense of humour. Const. O’Brien was very much a family man, and a lover of sports.”

Just a few months into his deployment in 2017, O’Brien received an award of valour when he placed himself at risk by entering a residence during an armed home invasion.

The new cenotaph outside Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment was unveiled on Friday. Photo by Ridge Meadows RCMP

Over the past year, O’Brien has been honoured with events like a joint forces jamboree and the unveiling of a Pitt Meadows youth lounge named after him.

Earlier this month, his name was added to the honour roll and memorial wall at the national RCMP headquarters in Regina; his name will also go on a law enforcement memorial in Victoria and police memorial in Ottawa late this month.

Ridge Meadows RCMP gathered for a private ceremony on Friday to unveil a cenotaph and a wall of honour to commemorate his “legacy of bravery and compassion,” said Mehat.

“Let’s treasure the moments we shared with Rick and continue to be inspired by the light he brought into our lives, said Mehat during a speech at the ceremony.

“Rick, we love you, we miss you, we honour you, and we will never forget you.”

A 25-year-old Coquitlam man has been charged with first-degree murder in relation to O’Brien’s death. A publication ban was imposed in August on details of the case.

Ridge Meadows RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien received a medal of valour along with several other officers shortly after joining the national force in 2016. (Also pictured are Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth and former lieutenant-governor Judith Guichon.) Photo by Government of B.C.

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