On April 10, 1965, Constable Neil Bruce age 26 and a four year member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police responded to the aid of a 16 year old girl who was being repeatedly sexually assaulted and held hostage in a cabin in the Westbank area of British Columbia. After trying to reason with the suspect to release the girl, the police officer approached the cabin unarmed as a gesture of good faith. He was struck in the chest by a .22 caliber bullet fired by the suspect. The police officer succumbed to his injuries on April 14, 1965, leaving behind a wife and two children. The girl managed to escape though she was shot twice by the same gun she fled. The suspect shot himself on April 20, 1965 after been tracked down and surrounded by police.
The constable's name was immortalized on June 20, 2000 when the Cst. Neil Bruce Middle School was opened in Westbank, B.C. ensuring that thousands of students who pass through the schools doors would be reminded of the legend of this fallen hero.
The Cst. Neil Bruce Middle is the only school in North America to be named after a police officer.
3 comments:
How tragic but what an honor for the young Constable and his family. MB
Brave man indeed. The RCMP uniform is very striking
This story tells the story of the RCMP, brave selfless men prepared to put their life on the line to help the fellow citizen.
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