Three Terrace RCMP officers have been recognized for exemplary police work by the officer commanding of the RCMP detachment here.
Constable Dean Perrin has been presented with a Commanding Officer’s Commendation and Constable Matt Sullivan a Commanding Officer’s Certificate of Appreciation of their role in the arrest of an armed suspect on a Terrace residential street April 27, 2020 while Corporal Joshua Smith has been presented with a Commanding Officer’s Commendation for his actions in dragging an injured person to safety following a propane explosion in Thornhill on Oct. 20, 2020.
The presentations were noted virtually by Terrace Mayor Carol Leclerc April 12 with RCMP detachment commander Inspector Jason Lucash observing virtually.
Perrin and Sullivan both responded to an aggravated assault in progress at 4501 Park Ave., a residential complex, on April 27, 2020 with Perrin arriving to find a male lying on the ground in a pool of blood and suffering from a life-threatening injury.
“Constable Perrin made the decision to extract the victim from the area, which left him vulnerable to the suspect while executing the extracting,” reads his commendation. “During the extraction Constable Perrin was confronted by the suspect and immediately took him into custody.”
Sullivan was the first back up officer to respond to the location, arriving to find that the gunshot victim was severely injured and requiring medical attention.
“He approached the victim, noting that one arm was severely injured. Constable Sullivan applied a tourniquet above the wound and stayed with the victim until BC Ambulance arrived to take over,” read his certificate.
Smith was responding to a report of a suspected impaired driver Oct. 20, 2020 along of Queensway in Thornhill when he was notified that the vehicle had struck a propane tank in the residential area of the 4600 Block there.
Arriving at the location, Smith smelled propane and stopped a safe distance away, turning off his vehicle to avoid the risk of creating a spark.
But the suspected driver “attempted to light a cigarette, igniting the damaged propane tank and causing a massive explosion. The driver was thrown from the vehicle and sustained significant burns,” read Smith’s commendation.
“Despite the risk of a secondary explosion from the continuing gas leak, Corporal Smith proceeded into the explosion scene, extracted the male by dragging him to a safe area and rendering first aid.”
The two commendations and the one certifcate each ended with “His actions and dedication to duty bring credit to himself and are in the keeping with the highest traditions of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.”
Leclerc thanked the officers for their service.
“You just never know what’s going to happen in your day, whether you’re going to come back to a loved one or not,” she said of risks faced by police officers.
“I fully appreciate the work that they do and the situations they place themself,” added Lucash.
