[A] man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a police officer in British Columbia.
Oscar Arfmann was charged yesterday after an exchange of gunfire with police who were responding to a report of a possible stolen vehicle on Monday in Abbotsford.
The charge is included in a court document, but it does not list an address for Arfmann. After the shooting, police said they arrested a man from Alberta who is in his 60s.
The Abbotsford Police Department said Davidson began his career as a police officer in the United Kingdom in 1993 before moving to British Columbia in 2006.
He is survived by his wife and three adult children.
Abbotsford police Const. John Davidson has been identified as the police officer who died while responding to a report of a possible stolen vehicle Monday morning.
In a statement on Tuesday, Abbotsford police said Davidson worked for Northumbria police until 2005.
With the Abbotsford force he worked in the patrol, youth squad and traffic sections.
“Our community lost a hero,” the statement said.
“John was a dedicated police officer who devoted so much of his time to connecting with the community and helping kids.”
Mayor Henry Braun said the community is in disbelief and people have lots of questions but the first priority is to support the fallen officer’s family.
“We just want to express our heartfelt sorrow to the family. We all have heavy hearts but they are carrying a much bigger burden than we are,” he said.
“All we can do as a community is surround them and just let them know they are loved and that we empathize with them and that they will be in our thoughts and our prayers.”
Davidson had an impact on students in the community thanks to his work as a school liaison officer, Braun added.
“There’s going to be some schools, some kids, when they find out who this is who are going to be grieving as well. So we need to surround our kids as well because they’ll have a tough time grappling with this, because he was greatly, greatly loved in our schools.”
Chief Bob Rich said officers were called about a possible stolen vehicle in the parking lot of a shopping complex at about 11:30am Monday.
The caller hemmed in the suspect’s vehicle while waiting for police to arrive, Rich said. The suspect emerged from the vehicle and began shooting at the caller and others, he said.
When police officers arrived, they attempted to arrest the suspect, who fled in the vehicle.
Police officers pursued him to an intersection where he was apprehended and taken to hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The civilian agency that investigates police actions resulting in serious harm or death says it’s believed the suspect was shot.
Rich paid tribute to Davidson and his other officers for their response on Monday.
“There were officers heroically trying to save the life of our member. There were officers immediately taking control of the scene,” he said.
“When they responded to this, they responded in a way that was designed to protect the public. This person was trying to kill people, members of the public, and our officers responded.
“The officer who gave his life today is a hero. He was protecting this community.
“He will always be my hero.”
The B.C. Law Enforcement Memorial lists only one other Abbotsford member in its online registry of officers who died in the line of duty. Const. John Goyer died in 2006 from complications sustained while responding to a call involving a domestic dispute five years earlier.
Northumbria PoIice have today paid tribute to the former Northumbria officer.
Acting Chief Constable Winton Keenen, Northumbria Police said: “We were very saddened to learn of the death of our former colleague who died bravely in the line of duty while serving as an officer in Abbotsford, Canada.
“Our thoughts are very much with his family, friends and former colleagues at this difficult time.”
John had been a police officer for 24 years, beginning his career in the UK working for the Northumbria Police from 1993 to 2005. He worked as a 24/7 response officer in Byker and North Shields and latterly as a motor patrols officer just before he left for Canada.
Mr Keenen added: “Today many of our officers who knew John well during his career with us and kept in touch with him over the ensuing years are shocked by the events in Canada. We all want to express our sincere condolences to his family at this tragic news.”
