RIP Toronto Police Sgt. Ryan Russell
Officers and staff of the Toronto Police Service are mourning the senseless death of Sgt. Ryan Russell who was killed 14-years-ago by a crazed snowplow driver who was later set free.
Russell, 35, an 11-year police veteran based at downtown’s 52 Division, was killed on January 12, 2011, as he was attempting to stop the barefooted driver of a stolen snowplow when he was struck on Avenue Road, just north of Davenport Road.
The father and husband had been promoted to the rank of sergeant just six months before he succumbed to his injuries at St. Michael’s Hospital. His son Nolan, then 2, is now 16-years-old and friends said he is ‘a twin of his father.’
Sgt. Ryan Russell’s courageous wife Christine and teenage son Nolan.
A full honours police funeral service was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre that was attended by hundreds of officers from across North America. Some 10,000 mourners showed up to pay their respects to the valiant officer.
“Ryan was a wonderful dad. He loved spending time with his son Nolan,” his wife Christine said then. “When you work so many crazy shifts, you really cherish your family time. He was a super hands-on dad.”
“Young fellows and the older ones on his platoon just gravitated towards him,” according to a former officer and friend. “He had that infectious personality.”
Then Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair salutes as Sgt. Russell’s hat is presented to his wife Christine at funeral service. CITY News photo.
Richard Kachkar, now 60, of St. Catharines, was charged with the first-degree murder, but after a lengthy trial the defence successfully argued that Kachkar was not criminally responsible.
Kachkar was granted a full discharge by the Ontario Review Board in April 2017.
He was banned from consuming alcohol, carrying any weapons or using non-medical drugs.
“A violation of any of these conditions would mean that he’d be arrested anywhere in Canada, with or without a warrant,” police said.
Two weeks after Kachkar was freed, the Russell family received more bad news: the police horse named in honour Russell had died suddenly in his stall from eating a poisonous plant.
There were mourning City residents lined up for miles to pay their respects to the slain officer and family man. CTV photo.
Sgt. Russell is among the more than 280 Toronto Police officers who have died in the line of duty, who are remembered on an Honour Wall. The force was created in 1834 and today has more than 5,500 officers and about 2,000 support staff. It has a budget of more than $1 billion yearly.
It is Canada’s largest municipal police service and the fourth largest in North America.