2014 NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR: Officer down | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kamloops News

2014 NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR: Officer down

Cpl. Jean-René Michaud is still recovering in hospital.
Image Credit: Courtesy Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal (with permission)

THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP NEWSMAKERS OF 2014. TODAY: NUMBER ONE

KAMLOOPS – Most residents of the Batchelor Heights neighbourhood were asleep when several shots rang out in the early morning hours of Dec. 3. The sound of gunfire was followed by a vehicle speeding off, while the shooting victim, an RCMP Corporal, and his backup waited for an ambulance.

It was supposed to be like the dozens of traffic stops Cpl. Jean-René Michaud likely made before. But when he pulled over a white sedan, it was the stop everyone heard about. 

We found out more information later, but for 12 hours, the biggest question was: Why? It came not long after officer shootings in Moncton and the attacks in Quebec and Ottawa.

There are few details on the case as of late, but recent charges against the shooting suspect suggest it may be connected to organized crime.

Since the shooting, Michaud has received waves of support and generosity from community members in Kamloops. The kindness continues through donations to his family and supportive messages. One man went so far as to plan a community fundraiser.

The officer, a 40-year-old father of two, was airlifted to the Lower Mainland two days before Christmas after surgery complications.

Beyond messages to Michaud, many have thanked the police in Kamloops for the work they do, in recognition of the risks Mountie’s face on the job. There are no real silver linings to his story, but we can all take a small comfort from the proof of our City’s – and Michaud’s – resilience.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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