Monday, February 27, 2006
In The Line of Duty
I read the news from back home pretty much every day, and the last few days have been rather depressing. Toronto Police force lost one of its finest last week, in a senseless hit and run. I hope the guy who did it is charged with killing an on duty police officer! How can anyone just ram into a mounted police officer? >:-|
From www.thestar.com
Brigadier, the Belgian cross police horse killed in the line of duty last week, will be given a hero's send-off in a memorial service Thursday.
Plans are in the works to hold a funeral in the Scarborough community near where he was struck and mortally wounded by a hit-and-run driver on Friday.
Police had to shoot the animal due to his massive injuries.
The Giffen-Mack Funeral and Cremation Centre on Lawrence Ave. E., just west of Kingston Rd. and about a block from the incident, contacted police and offered to hold the service, Staff Inspector William Wardle, head of the Toronto mounted police unit, said yesterday.
Wardle said he plans to visit the home today to see if it can accommodate the crowd they expect for Brigadier's service.
"This is really touching. It's from the community out of respect for what the horses do patrolling the area," he said. "When you think of how many members of the community were out at the scene that day from those surrounding apartment buildings, it would give them an opportunity to attend."
Brigadier and his rider, Constable Kevin Bradfield, along with three other mounted officers, were patrolling the area as part of a new policing project to reduce drugs and gun crime in the area when the driver of a van failed to pull over, then allegedly struck the horse deliberately.
He fled the scene, but a suspect was later charged.
Bradfield was thrown from the horse, suffering broken ribs, and injuries to his neck, back and leg. He was treated in hospital and released.
A 42-year-old suspect, Dirk Sankersingh, is in custody and makes his second court appearance today.
He is charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.
Kari Peters, a Scarborough resident who owns three horses, was on her way home from Pickering Friday when she saw the police lights and horse trailers.
"I lost my horse in 1998 and I know what it's like to see your horse lying there.
"I didn't need to see it again."
She said her heart goes out to Bradfield and those who rode Brigadier. She also hopes to attend the service.
The mounted unit is mourning the animal's loss, while horse lovers say there ought to be stiffer penalties against those who deliberately harm animals.
"You'd have a lot of people on the bandwagon if there was a petition pushing for greater consequences. That was an innocent animal ... it's disgusting," said Rebecca Grosberg, a riding instructor at Destiny Equestrian in Whitby. She said students at their lessons on the weekend were close to tears.
So popular was Brigadier with the mounted unit that three of its officers chose to pose with him for children's trading cards handed out during public visits to the Horse Palace at Exhibition Place.
Wardle said if all goes according to plan, Brigadier will get the same send-off as Vancouver police dog Nitro, killed last month by a train while chasing car thieves.
Three weeks ago, more than 700 mourners, many of them uniformed police officers and member of canine units from across B.C. and Washington, paid their respects at his funeral. His ashes were scattered at the Vancouver city limits.
Brigadier was one of 28 horses and 40 officers that make up the city's mounted unit, originally founded in 1886.
Toronto police purchased the horse in 2001 from a commercial horse breeder in Listowel, Ont.
My condolences and sympthies to the Toronto Police force, mounted unit, and to the rider who was also injured, Constable Bradfield. ¶ 11:46 AM
From www.thestar.com
Brigadier, the Belgian cross police horse killed in the line of duty last week, will be given a hero's send-off in a memorial service Thursday.
Plans are in the works to hold a funeral in the Scarborough community near where he was struck and mortally wounded by a hit-and-run driver on Friday.
Police had to shoot the animal due to his massive injuries.
The Giffen-Mack Funeral and Cremation Centre on Lawrence Ave. E., just west of Kingston Rd. and about a block from the incident, contacted police and offered to hold the service, Staff Inspector William Wardle, head of the Toronto mounted police unit, said yesterday.
Wardle said he plans to visit the home today to see if it can accommodate the crowd they expect for Brigadier's service.
"This is really touching. It's from the community out of respect for what the horses do patrolling the area," he said. "When you think of how many members of the community were out at the scene that day from those surrounding apartment buildings, it would give them an opportunity to attend."
Brigadier and his rider, Constable Kevin Bradfield, along with three other mounted officers, were patrolling the area as part of a new policing project to reduce drugs and gun crime in the area when the driver of a van failed to pull over, then allegedly struck the horse deliberately.
He fled the scene, but a suspect was later charged.
Bradfield was thrown from the horse, suffering broken ribs, and injuries to his neck, back and leg. He was treated in hospital and released.
A 42-year-old suspect, Dirk Sankersingh, is in custody and makes his second court appearance today.
He is charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.
Kari Peters, a Scarborough resident who owns three horses, was on her way home from Pickering Friday when she saw the police lights and horse trailers.
"I lost my horse in 1998 and I know what it's like to see your horse lying there.
"I didn't need to see it again."
She said her heart goes out to Bradfield and those who rode Brigadier. She also hopes to attend the service.
The mounted unit is mourning the animal's loss, while horse lovers say there ought to be stiffer penalties against those who deliberately harm animals.
"You'd have a lot of people on the bandwagon if there was a petition pushing for greater consequences. That was an innocent animal ... it's disgusting," said Rebecca Grosberg, a riding instructor at Destiny Equestrian in Whitby. She said students at their lessons on the weekend were close to tears.
So popular was Brigadier with the mounted unit that three of its officers chose to pose with him for children's trading cards handed out during public visits to the Horse Palace at Exhibition Place.
Wardle said if all goes according to plan, Brigadier will get the same send-off as Vancouver police dog Nitro, killed last month by a train while chasing car thieves.
Three weeks ago, more than 700 mourners, many of them uniformed police officers and member of canine units from across B.C. and Washington, paid their respects at his funeral. His ashes were scattered at the Vancouver city limits.
Brigadier was one of 28 horses and 40 officers that make up the city's mounted unit, originally founded in 1886.
Toronto police purchased the horse in 2001 from a commercial horse breeder in Listowel, Ont.
My condolences and sympthies to the Toronto Police force, mounted unit, and to the rider who was also injured, Constable Bradfield. ¶ 11:46 AM
