Family of slain Mountie issues message of thanks to those who offered support

HALIFAX — The family of a Nova Scotia RCMP officer killed last month while tracking down a multiple murderer has issued a statement to thank those who reached out to offer support.

Relatives of Const. Heidi Stevenson say they also wanted to thank her extended RCMP family.

The family says the many tributes and kind gestures shared throughout Canada have given them strength.

Described as a caring wife and mother who was well known in the Halifax area, Stevenson leaves behind her husband Dean and children Connor and Ava.

Among her roles with the force, Stevenson served in community policing, communications, drug recognition and represented the RCMP as part of the Musical Ride.

She would normally receive a regimental funeral, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made that impossible.

Her family also noted that many other families are still grieving across Nova Scotia, two weeks after a gunman disguised as an RCMP officer killed 22 people in several communities on April 18 and April 19.

The 48-year-old constable was killed after she rammed her cruiser into the vehicle being driven by the suspect, who was behind the wheel of a replica RCMP cruiser.

Last weekend, the president of the National Police Federation said Stevenson’s decision to disable the killer’s vehicle likely saved many lives.

The shooter was killed by an RCMP officer who spotted him at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., on the morning of April 19.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2020.

The Canadian Press