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Man accused of killing Ridge Meadows Mountie appears in court

Nicholas Bellemare accused of first degree murder, will next appear in January
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The man accused of killing Ridge Meadows RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien, Nicholas Bellemare, made a court appearance on Nov. 7. (Ridge Meadows RCMP, Special to Black Press Media)

Nicholas Bellemare, who is accused of shooting and killing Ridge Meadows RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien, made a brief court appearance by video on Tuesday morning, Nov. 7, at provincial court in Port Coquitlam.

Bellemare is charged with first degree murder – every killing of a police officer results in a charge of first degree murder, irrespective of whether the murder is planned. He is also charged with a second count of attempted murder. Bellemare is a 25-year-old Coquitlam resident.

O’Brien was killed, and two other Ridge Meadows RCMP officers wounded, when they executed a warrant at a Coquitlam residence on the morning of Sept. 22. The warrant related to an ongoing drug investigation.

A second officer suffered a gunshot wound, and a third officer suffered injuries which were not caused by bullets.

Bellemare’s court date on Tuesday was a brief pre-trial appearance, and any evidence given was subject to a ban on publication. He remains in custody, and will be back in court for his next appearance on Jan. 16, 2024.

O’Brien was 51, had been a Mountie for seven years, and had been decorated. A Langley resident, he left behind a wife and six children. Persons charged with a criminal offence are considered not guilty until the charges are proven in court.

A gofundme.com page to raise money for his family has raised more than $175,000.

READ ALSO: Ridge Meadows Mountie killed, 2 other officers injured in Coquitlam incident

READ ALSO: Charges laid in homicide of B.C. RCMP officer



Neil Corbett

About the Author: Neil Corbett

I have been a journalist for more than 30 years, the past decade with the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
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