Slain B.C. officer mourned

A police officer who died in the line of duty in British Columbia was remembered Tuesday for his bravery in protecting others and his community commitment in the work he did with children.

Abbotsford police say Const. John Davidson had been an officer for 24 years and spent the last 11 years with the department in the Lower Mainland.

“John Davidson is my hero, he’s this community’s hero,” Chief Bob Rich told a news conference.

Davidson followed his training in dealing with an active shooter, giving his life on Monday to protect the public, Rich said.

“We train our police officers, we ask our police officers that when somebody is putting people’s lives in danger, when there is an active shooter, we no longer wait for cover, we no longer set up teams, the first person in goes,” he said. “John Davidson was the first person in, and away he went, and he died protecting you and me.”

Oscar Arfmann has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Davidson’s death after an exchange of gunfire with police who were responding to a report of a possible stolen vehicle. The charge is included in a court document, but it does not list an address for Arfmann.

After the shooting, police said they arrested a man from Alberta who is in his 60s.

Davidson began his career in the United Kingdom in 1993 working for the police in Northumbria before moving to British Columbia in 2006.

He is survived by his wife and three adult children.

Davidson worked in the patrol, youth squad and traffic sections in Abbotsford and was active in the community, cycling in September in the Tour de Valley Cops for Cancer ride. His fundraising page said the native of Scotland loved soccer and rugby, keeping fit and being outdoors.

Rich described how Davidson spearheaded a crash prevention program where he spoke to high school students alongside a girl who had lost a friend in a car accident and discussed how graduating classes could organize their end-of-year celebrations to prevent impaired driving.

He said the last time he shook Davidson’s hand was in September after the ride around the Fraser Valley for youth cancer research.