Officers Killed on Duty
Canadian Police and Peace Officers' Annual Memorial Service
The Annual Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Service is held each year on the last Sunday in September (see our calendar of events). Once again, police and peace officers from across Canada will meet on Parliament Hill to honour fallen comrades. The Memorial Service is held every year to keep their memory alive, and to ensure that the magnitude of their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
The tradition started following the death of Ottawa Police Constable David Kirkwood in 1977. The first Memorial was organized by the Ottawa Police and the 30th Field Regiment (the By-Town Gunners), who fired a two-gun salute in the memory of fallen officers. The By-Town Gunners presented a memorial to the Ottawa Police that was fashioned from one of the two shell casings from the original salute. In 2002, to recognize the 25th year landmark of the Canadian Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Service, the shell casing memorial piece was unveiled at a ceremony. It is on display in the lobby of Ottawa Police Headquarters.
In 1998, the Canadian Government officially proclaimed the last Sunday of September of every year as Police and Peace Officers' National Memorial Day. On January 17, 2003, Canadian Heritage declared the last Sunday of September of every year as the day when all federal buildings and establishments in Canada, including the Peace Tower, fly their flags at half-mast from sunrise to sunset in honour of fallen officers. These official proclamations are a fitting sign of respect, not only to those gathered on Parliament Hill, but also for those who made the ultimate tragic sacrifice to keep our communities safe.
In 1978, the first Memorial honoured 14 officers. In 2008, the names of over 742 officers were engraved on the Honour Roll along with the perimeter wall on Parliament Hill, overlooking the Ottawa River and the Supreme Court of Canada. Nine were members of the Ottawa Police Service, or one of its founding police services. The glass panels provide a lasting tribute to our heroes and ensure that future generations are reminded of the supreme sacrifices made by our fallen members. Many officers from across Canada come to Ottawa each year to honour the memories of fallen officers.
Ottawa Area Officers Killed in the Line of Duty
The job of a police officer is one that demands a one-hundred-and-ten percent effort, one-hundred percent of the time. But for some officers, the contributions made in the line of duty are immeasurable. Here, we honour the brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice while working to keep Ottawa's streets safe.
If you have any questions or comments for the Ottawa Police, about officers killed in the line of duty, please email: fallenofficer@ottawapolice.ca
Ottawa Area Officers Killed in the Line of Duty
Prior to Ottawa’s amalgamation in 1995, the boundaries of Ottawa Police’s jurisdiction were different. After 1995, Ottawa Police acquired jurisdictions that were previously under the O.P.P and other services. The list of fallen officers below, denote officers who have died in the line of duty in what is Ottawa Police’s jurisdiction today.
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Constable Ireneusz 'Eric' Czapnik
May 26,1958-
Dec. 29,2009 |  Constable David Utman
August 11, 1945 - October 14, 1983 |  Constable Russell O'Connor
April 18, 1942 - September 7, 1983
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| 
Constable Kenneth Swett
March 8, 1951 - July 17, 1981 | 
Constable David Kirkwood
October 26, 1955 - July 11, 1977 | 
Sergeant David Tuckey
March 29, 1933 - January 21, 1970 |
|  Constable Robert Maki
August 22, 1935 - April 4, 1966 |  Constable Jeffrey Armstrong
January 11, 1940 - May 13, 1963 | 
Constable George Constantineau
August 14, 1915 - November 17, 1954 |
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Detective Thomas Stoneman
February 18, 1908 - October 29, 1945 | 
Constable Harold Dent
March 2, 1903 - June 20, 1940 |  Constable John Montgomery
February 20, 1908 - July 31, 1931
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|  Constable Miles Campbell
June 14, 1899 - June 9, 1929
|  Constable Hiram O'Callaghan
April 8, 1884 - January 12, 1928
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