[Police Officer Valerie GIGNAC ]
[Wildlife Protection Officer Nicolas ROCHETTE ]
[Wildlife Protection Officer Fernand VACHON ]
[Cst. Andrew POTTS ]
[Cst. Jose AGOSTINHO ]
[Cst. Joseph MINGUY ]
[Cst. Brock Warren MYROL ]
[Cst. Peter Christopher SCHIEMANN ]
[Cst. Lionide Nicholas JOHNSTON ]
[Cst. Anthony Fitzgerald Orion GORDON ]

Officer Gignac and her partner were responding to an apparent domestic dispute at an apartment building in the Montreal suburb of Laval, Quebec. The suspect shot through the door with a high powered weapon (calibre, type unknown) striking Officer Gignac in the stomach. Her partner instinctively dragged her away from future danger, and radioed for back up. She was taken to Montreal General Hospital where she died from her wounds.

Officer Gignac had served with the Laval Police Department for four years and is survived by her husband, also a Laval Police Officer.

Wildlife Protection Officer Nicolas Rochette, WPO Fernand Vachon and the pilot, Yves Giguère died when their plane crashed on Saturday November 5, 05 at around 10pm. Together they were conducting a night-hunting operation in the Chaudière-Appalaches area (approximately 30 miles north of the Maine border near Jackman ME) when the crash occurred. The plane was found on Tuesday, November the 8th.

Mr. Rochette began his wildlife protection career in Forestville. In 1997 he was appointed wildlife protection officer for Laurier-Station and Saint-Camille.

Mr. Rochette took his career very seriously, and in October 2003 was a guest on the Radio Canada program Justice, which examined the duties of wildlife protection officers. His concern for the human aspects of his job also led him to accept a position as union representative.

Working in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, he frequently took part in aerial surveillance of night-time white-tailed deer hunting, and his efforts were greatly appreciated. Over the years he was involved in numerous poaching prevention initiatives, and was known for his sense of initiative and productivity.

Mr. Rochette was survived by his daughter.

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Wildlife Protection Officer Fernand Vachon, WPO Nicolas Rochette and the pilot, Yves Giguère died when their plane crashed on Saturday November 5, 05 at around 10pm. Together they were conducting a night-hunting operation in the Chaudière-Appalaches area (approximately 30 miles north of the Maine border near Jackman ME) when the crash occurred. The plane was found on Tuesday, November the 8th.

Mr. Vachon was known for his expertise, professionalism and persistence. He was an inspiration to his colleagues from Québec in the battle against poaching.

Wildlife protection was his passion, and he devoted 33 years of his life to the cause with the enthusiasm and commitment that were his trademark.

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Constable Andrew POTTS, a 7 year veteran of policing was killed in the line of duty in the early morning hours of July 20 / 2005. At approximately 02:00 hrs Cst. POTTS was operating a OPP cruiser responding to a call for service when the cruiser struck a moose which was on the fog covered highway. Cst. Potts succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Fellow Officer and passenger, Cst. Matt HANES, 39yrs, was transported to St. Mike's hospital in Toronto in serious but stable condition.

Cst. Potts leaves behind his parents, a sister and a girlfriend.

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Constable Agostinho was killed and another officer injured after his parked cruiser was rammed by a five-tonne delivery truck while the officers were investigating a separate motor vehicle accident on Highway #2 near Leduc AB.

Constable Agostinho is survived by his wife, Cheryl May Agostinho, and their two children, Stephanie Diana, age 18, and James Douglas, age 14.

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Cst. Minguy was seen to go overboard from an RCMP patrol vessel into Okanagan Lake at about 3pm near the Vernon yacht club in what police are calling an accident. The constable was wearing full RCMP gear including a bullet proof vest and boots. It's not known if he was also wearing a life jacket.

Cst. Minguy's body was recovered on June 6/05.

Cst. Minguy, a 23 year RCMP veteran leaves behind two sons aged 11 and 13.

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RCMP Memorial slide show with music. (PPT required - 2.5 mb) Created by Members of the RCMP.

Will open in a new window. - "RCMP Memorial"

Events surrounding the murder. (Will open in a new window.)

Shooting Deaths of 4 Mayerthorpe / Whitecourt RCMP Members
Media Briefing (2005-03-21)

Please Read .....

Photo Gallery of Memorials held across Canada.

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