Residents around the city came out early this morning to pay their respects to the two South Simcoe police officers who were killed in the line of duty last week.
Constables Morgan Russell, 54, and Devon Northrup, 33, were shot and killed last Tuesday by a man inside a home after responding to a call in Innisfil. The officers had responded to a "disturbance" at the Alcona home around 8 p.m., Oct. 11.
The mortally wounded officers were rushed to hospital by emergency run, where Northrup died. Russell was airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre and succumbed to his injuries early the next morning. The 22-year-old man identified as the shooter was pronounced dead after an "exchange of gunfire" with a third officer at the scene.
Mike Amaro was among a small gathering of people who lined up early Thursday morning to await the start of the funeral procession, which left Adams Funeral Home in the city’s north end just after 9 a.m. carrying the body of Russell. The cortège then made its way along St. Vincent Street to Wellington Street, on its way to Steckley-Gooderham Funeral Home in downtown Barrie, where the late police officer was reunited with his colleague, Northrup. The procession then continued around the city, before making its way to Sadlon Arena, where the two officers were remembered and honoured by friends, family and thousands of police officers from around North America for a private funeral.
“They served the community, and what happened to them shouldn’t have happened,” Amaro told BarrieToday while waiting for the procession to begin.
No one should die going to work, added Barrie resident Jeff Bathgate, telling BarrieToday with a few first responders in his family, the deaths hit home.
Several uniformed members of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 147 were also out early this morning as they waited for the procession to leave the funeral home, located a few blocks away.
“It’s important to show solidarity with our police officers and it’s such a sad occasion having the two of them killed in the one incident,” said Judi Giovanetti. “I am here to show my support. I am non-military, but I have great respect for our veterans and our police officers.”
Bill Sergeant, who spent 40 years as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force as an aerospace engineer, told BarrieToday the two fallen officers were “brothers in arms.”
“They are the first responders and they are the ones that take care of the homefront while we go and deploy elsewhere, and even they deploy on many UN missions with the military, so it’s important we show solidarity with them,” he said. “When we lose a military person, it affects the whole force and it’s the same thing when you lose a police officer. When we need them, they are there for us, and hopefully we are always there for them as well.”
By shortly before 10 a.m., a small group of neighbours had gathered along Bayview Drive between Gowan Street and Burton Avenue to pay their respects.
Sarah Paterson was walking with her young daughter to the downtown Barrie Public Library, telling BarrieToday she timed the outing so she could stop and pay her respects to the officers.
“I am just here to honour those who serve our amazing city and our beautiful county. I just think it was a tragedy what happened and it shouldn’t be happening in our society,” she said.
“It’s sad,” added Cathy Colebatch while holding back tears.
