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RCMP officer killed in Hay River

Mayerthorpe and now Hay River...hitting close to home.

Rest in Peace Sir...your time is done but your reputation will live forever
 
Sorry to hear about this loss a an RCMP Constable.

There is a cop killer at large, and lets get him him!


Wes
 
In prayers and thoughts to Cst.Worden. My heart goes out to his wife and infant

emma
 
Mounties have suspect in RCMP shooting death
07/10/2007 10:10:21 PM
Article Link

The RCMP has identified a suspect in Saturday's shooting death of one of their officers in Hay River, N.W.T.

They're not releasing any more details about the suspect, and they've made no arrests. But they told a packed press conference on Sunday that area residents don't have anything to fear. But they did not explain their statement further when pressed by residents and media.

"The investigative team has identified a suspect and we are actively pursuing all avenues of investigation. To protect the integrity of the investigation we are unable to share further details at this time,'' he said.

"Investigators believe there is no immediate threat to the community of Hay River.''

Police told about 100 residents, reporters, and political officials gathered at the media briefing that they took down roadblocks in the area Sunday morning.

RCMP Const. Christopher John Worden was killed early Saturday morning after responding to a complaint. Police have reported that they lost contact with the officer. When two colleagues went to look for him, he was found in a wooded area suffering from gunshot wounds.

He was rushed to hospital, where he was died from his injuries.

"This news has been absolutely devestating to us," one resident told CTV News on Sunday.

"To hear this news is a really tight-knit community, especially with the RCMP officers," said Kevin Wallington.

An on-line memorial has already been set up for Worden. One friend wrote, he was "so likeable and bright. You couldn't help but like him. He and the RCMP just fit. This is a tremendous loss."

The death has turned Thanksgiving into a somber occasion in Hay River, where the small, tight-knit community is mourning Worden's.

The Mountie and his family were in the prayers of churchgoers in the town's four churches. At the Anglican Church, Pastor Vivian Smith said the community put the officer in their thoughts as soon as they heard about his murder Saturday.

"The prayers are continuing and will continue. They are sombre services,'' Smith said on Sunday.

"It is supposed to be Thanksgiving day for us but we don't feel like it is a day of Thanksgiving.''

As the town prays and police continue to hunt for suspects in the shooting death of Const. Worden, some are raising questions over rural policing procedures.

Details remain scarce surrounding the events of the shooting; however, it is known that Worden, 30, was alone when dispatched to a complaint at a Hay River, N.W.T. residence at 5 a.m. Saturday morning.

The community of 3,600 is located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, 400 kilometres south of Yellowknife.

Analyst John Muise, a spokesperson for the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness and 30-year police veteran, told CTV Newsnet on Sunday that officers often face increased risks in remote settings.

"Very often you have officers who could be on their own patrolling but in addition, there's no backup necessarily within miles," Muise said.

"I don't know the circumstances of this particular case, but it's very typical in remote or rural settings for police officers to be attending what are often dangerous calls with backup being potentially miles away."

Muise said Worden's death will inevitably raise procedural questions for the RCMP, especially in remote areas of the country where resources are often strained.

"If it's only resources that separated this officer from having a partner than that is a fair question and is a question that will need an answer because quite frankly, I understand that policing is expensive, but to lose a life unnecessarily is unacceptable," Muise said.

On Saturday, Sgt. Larry O'Brien said officers currently had no information on the type of complaint Worden was responding to, but confirmed he responded alone.

"Depending on what the nature of the complaint was, it is quite common for members to attend on their own -- especially in the north where we have smaller detachments," he said.

Worden joined the Mounties in 2002 and had spent most of his career in the Northwest Territories.

Worden's wife, Jody, and infant daughter live in Hay River.

Residents of Hay River have been bringing flowers to the RCMP detachment since word of the officer's death.

No arrests had been made as of Saturday night.

Worden's death comes less than a week after Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day pledged legislation and funding to ensure the work of Canadian law enforcement is not undermined.

Day made the annoucement while addressing a crowd on Parliament Hill last Sunday for the 30th Police and Peace Officer's Memorial, Day -- an annual day of rememberence for fallen officers and their families.

"I give a commitment to these family members here and to all these officers here that my colleagues and I will continue to do the work ... to bring in the type of legislation that helps you to realize as officers that the work you do will not wind up in frustration ... and that you'll have the resources you need to do the job properly," Day said to the friends and family of fallen officers.

With a files from The Canadian Press
 
Name Description and veh here.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071007/police_procedures_071008/20071008?hub=TopStories

RCMP release name of suspect in officer's death
Updated Mon. Oct. 8 2007 9:00 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

RCMP in the Northwest Territories have issued an arrest warrant for Emrah Bulatci, wanted for the shooting death of Const. Christopher Worden over the weekend.

Police said they charged Bulatci, 23, with first-degree murder late Sunday night. No arrests have been made as of Monday morning.

Worden was shot and killed responding to a call for police assistance in Hay River, N.W.T., Saturday morning.

Bulatci may also be known as Justin Elise, and his last known addresses include several locations in Edmonton and St. Albert, Alta., police say.

More on the link.
 
Somebody killed a policeman today,

And a part of Canada died.

A piece of our country he swore to protect,

Will be buried with him, at his side.

The suspect who killed him will stand up in court,

With counsel – demanding his rights;

While a young widowed mother must work for her kids,

And endure many long lonely nights.

The beat that he walked was a battlefield too,

Just as if he had gone off to war…

Though the flag of our nation won’t fly at half-mast,

To his name they add a gold star.

Yup! Somebody killed a policeman today.

Maybe your town or mine,

While we slept in comfort, behind locked doors,

A cop put his life on the line.

Now his ghost walks the beat, on a dark city street,

And he stands at each rookie’s side.

He answered the call, of himself gave his all,

And part of Canada died.

Rev. Charles E. Massey, Aux. Inspector,

Chaplin, O.P.P.

LEST WE FORGET!




 
RIP Const Worden. My thoughts and prayers are with that young mother and daugther tonight. I'm sure the community will come through for them in their hour of need like most small communities do.  :salute:
 
RCMP find accused Mountie killer's vehicle: report

Updated Wed. Oct. 10 2007 2:57 PM ET
The Canadian Press
Article Link

ST. ALBERT, Alta. --

RCMP have seized a vehicle they believe was used by the man charged in the shooting death of Const. Chris Worden.

The St. Albert Gazette reports that an RCMP tactical squad found the 2004 Ford Expedition on Monday during a raid on a home in the Edmonton bedroom community.

Worden, 30, was gunned down early Saturday morning while answering a trouble call in the small town of Hay River, N.W.T., 400 kilometres south of Yellowknife.

Emrah Bulatci, 23, who has lived in the Edmonton area, is charged with first-degree murder in Worden's death.

RCMP Cpl. Wayne Oakes told the Gazette police believe the seized vehicle is the one that Bulatci was seen driving in Hay River.

The Mounties issued a special bulletin to all police forces across Western Canada on Monday to be on the lookout for Bulatci.
 
The Mounties will get their man...
 
Police cordon off home in Mountie slaying probe

Updated Thu. Oct. 11 2007 8:30 PM ET

The Canadian Press

EDMONTON -- Police surrounded a home in Edmonton for about nine hours on Thursday and cordoned off part of an inner-city neighbourhood as part of the ongoing search for the man accused of killing a Mountie in Hay River, N.W.T.

However, the house turned out to be empty, police confirmed late in the afternoon.

Emrah Bulatci, 23, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Const. Christopher Worden.

Edmonton police spokesman Jeff Wuite said that earlier in the day a number of people were taken into custody in the neighbourhood and were handed over to the RCMP for questioning.

Officers later set off a flash-bang stun grenade in the neighbourhood and rolled out a robotic device used to search dangerous areas onto the street, but didn't immediately rush the house. An armoured vehicle sat at the ready a few blocks away.

Some news photographers on the scene peering through their high-powered lenses said some officers then sipped coffee and ate pizza and other snacks.

RCMP Cpl. Wayne Oakes said in a news release that the stakeout was in response to a tip about Bulatci.

"Law enforcement personnel must operate within the law and must be able to justify their every action,'' he said.

"Unfortunately this can sometimes result in times where there appears to be extended periods that officers seem to be taking little or no action, thus adding to the frustration of those impacted by police activities. Regrettably, these investigations can and often do go on for many hours.''

People in nearby homes say police didn't warn them of any danger and children played in a nearby school playground only a block away from the cordoned off area.

"No one has told us anything,'' said Dina Veltri as she held her baby daughter.

"If we are going to be in danger the citizens who live on this block should be told about it.''

RCMP have warned the public not to approach Bulatci, who they consider armed and dangerous.

Police were using Karri Germann's home as a staging area for the stakeout. The 24-year old mother said officers only told her to leave the area for a few hours.

"It is kind of scary'' Germann said as she wheeled her daughter in a stroller by one of the roadblocks. "We just moved into this neighbourhood 2 1/2 months ago.''

Thursday's police sweep is the latest in a series of raids that have been staged since Worden was gunned down Saturday while answering a trouble call in Hay River.

RCMP say they seized a vehicle on Monday in the Edmonton-area that they believe was driven by Bulatci in Hay River -- 1,100 kilometres away.

There have also been searches of homes and motels earlier this week in High Level, Alta., and Edmonton.

RCMP have declined to answer questions about the circumstances surrounding Worden's death, including queries about the slain Mountie's radio, why it took police so long to find him after he was shot, what they know about the fatal attack, the cause of death, what firearm was used or whether it is possible that more than one person was involved.

Bulatci has been convicted of drug and weapons charges in the past and was arrested during a drug bust in Edmonton last February but was released after posting $20,000 bail.

On Aug. 31, he was fined $1,150 after pleading guilty to failing to comply with the conditions of a recognizance.

Court documents do not say why he was under a recognizance, which are conditions of a bail release, but the breach was for failing to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.

In exchange for the guilty plea, the Crown withdrew charges of possession of the proceeds of crime, carelessly carrying ammunition, carrying ammunition while under a recognizance requiring him not to and possessing ammunition while prohibited from doing.

Court documents also reveal Bulatci was serving an intermittent jail sentence, which is served on weekends, at the time of the guilty plea. They did not specify the crime for which he was serving time.

Worden, a husband and father of one daughter, will be given a regimental funeral in Ottawa on Monday.
 
Mounties get their man: Alleged cop killer caught

Updated Fri. Oct. 12 2007 10:56 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

The Alberta man charged with the death of an RCMP officer has been arrested in Edmonton.

According to CTV's Sarah Galashan the arrest of  Emrah Bulatci, 23, came after a number of raids in Edmonton Friday and earlier in the week. He was caught in an Edmonton home at about 5 p.m. local time Friday.

Galashan told CTV Newsnet that the arrest was made after "a seven-hour standoff today in a duplex, low-income housing unit, in the west end of Edmonton."

Police arrested Bulatci after stting off stun-grenades and storming the residence.

At a press conference held shortly after Friday's arrest, RCMP Chief Supt. Fred Kamins said the fact that Bulatci (who had been described as armed and dangerous) is no longer at large "is a relief."

He told reporters that the RCMP investigation is not over, and that police are still collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.

Friday's arrest forced the evacuation of a nearby school, where police escorted nearly 270 children away from the neighborhood. One parent told CTV News in Edmonton that the situation was "very, very scary." All of the children were wisked away safely.

Bulatci has been charged with the first-degree murder of Const. Christopher Worden in Hay River, N.W.T., last Saturday. He was the subject of a Canada-wide manhunt.

Worden was shot after responding to an early morning call for police assistance in a neighbourhood of Hay River with a bad reputation.

Bulatci, who went by the name Justin Elise in Hay River, was known by residents, who said he was a common visitor to the town of 3,600.

He was born in the northern Alberta town of High Level, where his father, Erdogan, still lives.

Police tracked Bulatci to St. Albert, near Edmonton, where a 2004 Ford Expedition connected to him was seized during a search of a home.

Police searched several area homes, including the house Bulatci's girlfriend and 3-month-old daughter share with her family.

On Thursday, Edmonton police swarmed an Edmonton home on Thursday as a tactical unit cordoned off part of the inner-city neighbourhood for several hours.

Snipers, a robot and a flash explosion were used during the raid. The target house turned out to be empty, but a number of people in the neighbourhood were taken in for questioning.

Bulatci was convicted of a weapons offense in June and is currently banned from carrying a firearm for the next 10 years.

RCMP have not answered questions surrounding the death of Worden, who responded to the morning distress call.

Worden's wife Jodie and 8-month-old daughter Alexis live in Hay River.

A regimental funeral for Worden will be held in Ottawa on Monday.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071012/mountie_suspect_070112/20071012?hub=TopStories
 
Kitchener Waterloo Record; Friday October 12, 2007

Obituary Article Link for Const. Worden:  http://www.therecord.com/news/obituaries/obituaries2020_5069875.html

My thoughts and prayers, to his friends and family.

~Rebecca
 
Slain Mountie remembered as 'caring' man
Updated Mon. Oct. 15 2007 2:35 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

RCMP Const. Chris Worden was remembered Monday in Ottawa as "a compassionate, caring and gentle man" dedicated to his wife and excited about his role as a new father.

Worden, from Ottawa, was shot to death on Oct. 6 at a suspected drug house in the Northwest Territories.

Mounties on horseback, a pipe band and police officers in dress uniform from across the country marched through the streets of Ottawa ahead of the regimental funeral service.

Worden's widow Jodie held their infant daughter Alexis in her arms on the steps of Notre Dame Basilica on Sussex Drive as she watched the procession from Parliament Hill to the church.

Const. Mike Carter delivered a eulogy to a crowd of 300 seated inside the church. He described the 30-year-old father as "one of the greatest guys we've ever know."

"You will each have your own shared moments with Chris. Remember them and share them so Alexis will know what a wonderful man her father was," Carter said, choking back tears.

A large television monitor broadcasted the funeral outside the church, where hundreds of additional mourners, many of them Mounties in red serge, watched on.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson was among the dignitaries in attendance.

RCMP Commissioner William Elliott, along with former commissioners Giuliano Zaccardelli and Phil Murray were also on hand.

Many of those who attended were Worden's fellow alumni from Wilfred Laurier University. Worden was an avid Golden Hawks football fan and former player, CTV's David Akin said on Monday from Ottawa.

He died during an early-morning call to a notorious dwelling in Hay River, N.W.T., a community of about 3,600 located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake. He was alone at the time.

Canadians have already given messages of support for Worden's family, posting their condolences on a special website set up by the RCMP -- and on Sunday the website appeared to have crashed from heavy traffic.

"The past few days have been trying for our members in the Northwest Territories and across Canada," the RCMP said in a release. "These words of sympathy and support are very meaningful to us and reflect the strong relationships and commitments we have to the communities we serve."

Worden's colleagues have created a trust fund for his daughter. Donations may be made at any CIBC branch by quoting account number 2784033 and transit number 03192.

Police analyst John Muise told CTV Newsnet on Monday that even though most of the officers travelling to Ottawa never knew Worden, they still feel a very strong connection to him because of the job.

"The nature of the work is that you rely on somebody to come and help you with backup, to keep you safe, many of us have had incidents where a fellow officer has potentially saved your life," said Muise, a spokesperson for the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness and 30-year police veteran.

Emrah Bulatci, the 23-year-old suspect in the shooting, was arrested Friday by Edmonton police after a seven-hour standoff. Bulatci will face charges of first-degree murder back in the Northwest Territories.

Another individual, 21-year-old Jarred Dale Nagle, is charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071014/rcmp_funeral_071015/20071015?hub=TopStories

 
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