Regimental funeral for slain B.C. RCMP officer to take place Wednesday

Mourners will gather in Langley, B.C., Wednesday for a regimental funeral procession, memorial service and final salute to honour an RCMP officer who was killed in the line of duty last month.

Const. Rick O'Brien was fatally shot while executing a search warrant in Coquitlam on the morning of Sept. 22

Attendance at the funeral service will be limited to family, first responders, officials and invited guests, but members of the public who want to pay their respects are being invited to line the streets and observe the procession to the 2 p.m. service at the Langley Events Centre.

"In lieu of gifts or flowers, individuals are encouraged to wear red on October 4 to recognize and remember Const. Rick O’Brien for his bravery, commitment to public safety, and for making the ultimate sacrifice in service of his community," the B.C. RCMP said in an announcement detailing the memorial plans.

Those who wish to offer their condolences to O'Brien's family can send an email to [e-mail].

CTV News Vancouver will be providing in-depth coverage of the procession and service on TV and online, with a live special hosted by Mi-Jung Lee that begins at 12:45 p.m. PST.

O'Brien was born in Ottawa and had been an RCMP officer for seven years, all of them spent working at the Ridge Meadows detachment. He was 51 years old.

At a news conference last month, Supt. Wendy Mehat, the officer in charge of the detachment, called O'Brien's death "the most difficult moment" of her RCMP career.

"I cannot speak to the details of what unfolded today, but I can share that the loss of Rick will be felt deeply by his family, his colleagues and the community of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows and Coquitlam and across the country," Mehat said.

"He was truly exceptional – a hard worker and a good human being. His death is senseless and heartbreaking."

The day after O'Brien was killed, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced that Nicholas Bellemare, 25, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder with a firearm.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ian Holliday