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On duty female RCMP officer in Burnaby, B.C., stabbed to death

Oct. 18, 2022, Burnaby, B.C. – An RCMP officer in Burnaby, B.C., has been stabbed to death in what Solicitor General Mike Farnworth calls a terrible tragedy.

Farnworth said Tuesday the female officer “sacrificed her life in the course of duty,” but he had no other details about her death.

Several media reports say the officer was killed while assisting a bylaw officer at a homeless camp site.

Police have not confirmed those reports, although two senior RCMP officers will be available at a news conference later Tuesday.

A visibly shaken Farnworth said it is “absolutely a tragic and horrific situation.”

He expressed sincere condolences to all police officers in B.C. on behalf of members of the legislature.

“Every day we ask thousands of men and women in uniform in this province to go out and do their duty, keeping our communities safe, keeping the public safe, knowing full well it’s an extremely dangerous job.”

Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley said in a statement that they are devastated to hear of the death of the officer.

“Our thoughts are with her family, friends, fellow RCMP members and civilian staff during this terrible time. I know our city staff and the community will also feel this deeply – please seek support if needed. We will continue to work closely with the RCMP to provide all the support we can.”

The Metro Vancouver Transit Police Department tweeted “outrage builds as our hearts break.”

“Our officers worked closely with her and she will be deeply missed,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet he was “incredibly saddened” to hear about the officer’s killing.

“My thoughts are with the family, friends, and colleagues of the fallen officer – I am keeping you in my thoughts during this terrible time,” he said.

Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said he was devastated by the news of the loss of the officer in the line of duty.

“At this difficult time, my heart goes out to the family and friends of the deceased officer and to the entire Burnaby RCMP Detachment,” he said in a tweet.

Police departments from Vancouver to Ottawa also expressed their sadness at the loss on social media.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. has confirmed it has been deployed to an incident involving police in Burnaby, but it would not confirm the stabbing or whether it involved RCMP.

The office investigates any incidents linked to police in B.C. involving serious harm or death.