Thousands gather for procession, funeral for fallen South Simcoe officers
Posted October 20, 2022 6:17 am.
Last Updated October 20, 2022 5:07 pm.
Stories of dedication to work and devotion to family were shared at the funeral for Const. Morgan Russell and Const. Devon Northrup on Thursday before thousands of police officers from across the country.
Officers from Toronto, South Simcoe, York Region, and Barrie police services along with hundreds of RCMP and other police force members joined the morning procession as it moved through snowy Barrie streets.
The Cortège has arrived, making its way to Sadlon Arena, for the private funerals of South Simcoe Police Constables Devon Northrup and Morgan Russell. pic.twitter.com/Dt9lmp0IUt
— Faiza Amin (@Faiza_AminTV) October 20, 2022
Bagpipes played as pallbearers carried the Canadian flag-draped caskets to the front of the stage at the Sadlon Arena in Barrie, where flowers and portraits of Russell and Northrup were on display. Folded Canadian flags and police caps were placed on top of the caskets.
Russell’s daughter said the words she used today cannot convey the love she feels for her father.
“I don’t think I’m capable of loving anyone as much as I loved my daddy. And I will miss him more than anything,” said Madelaine. “I will miss hearing him call me ‘scamp’, call my sister and me ‘my babies’, call my mom ‘my love’, and call all three of us ‘my family.'”
Const. Annie Romard, Northrup’s spouse recalled dancing in the kitchen with her partner that morning before saying goodbye, and texting throughout the day about their plans to see each other that night.
“Kissed me three times before he left, like he always did, and as always, before one of us walked out that door, we said: stay safe,” she said. “Little did either of us know our lives would be changed forever.”
Marisa Russell, the widow of Const. Russell, recalled him hugging their family goodbye, before later getting the news that they had “lost our source of strength.”
“We were so lucky to have Morgan as a part of our family unit for as long as we did, and I hope that one day we will learn to accept this crushing loss,” she said, remembering him as a front-line officer who took risks to protect community safety.
“Please respect our police. They’ve earned it.”
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Const. John Small retired as the South Simcoe police chief just weeks before the two officers were murdered.
“Our pain is still really raw and understandably so, and at times may even seem unbearable,” he said. “But we cannot allow events like this to define who we are or change how we do our job.”
Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell opened the service with remarks about the two men, saying she had spoken to their colleagues about reflections that “leave no doubt that they were admired, valued and will not be forgotten.”
The deaths of Russell and Northrup mark three officers shot dead in Ontario in a month after the fatal shooting of Toronto Const. Andrew Hong in Mississauga, Ont., in mid-September.
Dowdeswell noted the string of deaths, saying the recent weeks have been “a devastating time for police and emergency services.”
“Perhaps we don’t say it often enough: thank you,” she said.
A medal, service cap and flags adorn the casket of South Simcoe Police Service constable Morgan Russell at a joint funeral service in Barrie, Ont., on Oct. 20, 2022. Russell and fellow SSPS constable Devon Northrup were killed in a shooting in Innisfil, Ont., last week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Premier Doug Ford, who became emotional at times as he spoke at the funeral, also noted the recent losses among police.
“We have seen too many days recently when these heroes didn’t return from their shift. That hits home,” Ford said.
“This police family will endure … You will do so with two guardian angels smiling down on you.”
The two officers were fatally shot while responding to a disturbance call at a home in Innisfil earlier this month.
Investigators with Ontario’s independent police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, confirmed the pair did not draw their firearms on the suspected gunman. They said a third officer in the house exchanged gunfire with the 22-year-old gunman who died at the scene.
Northrup was a six-year member of the service and worked with the community mobilization and engagement unit. He also served as a member of the mental health crisis outreach team and the emergency response unit. Russell, a trained crisis negotiator in the uniform patrol division, was a 33-year veteran of the service.
The funeral comes two days after RCMP officer Const. Shaelyn Yang was fatally stabbed in Burnaby, B.C., during an altercation at a homeless campsite. Yang was a mental health and homeless outreach officer.
With files from Nick Westoll and The Canadian Press
