It's been 17 years since Const. Chris Worden was murdered, but Hay River still has not forgotten what happened in the early morning of Oct. 6, 2007.
Residents and members of the Hay River detachment joined together for a march from the Hay River Community Centre to the town's detachment on the evening of Oct. 6 to remember the 30-year-old Worden, who had been first posted to the NWT in 2002 and served at both the Whati and Yellowknife detachments before moving to Hay River in 2005.
Const. Josh Seaward, the media relations officer for the in the NWT, was at this year's memorial and said it was another strong turnout.
"I've been posted here for three years now and the amount of people who participate doesn't seem to be decreasing," he said. "Even though it's been some time since this incident occurred, it's still an emotional time and it's deep-seated here in the town."
Worden was responding to a call for service in the Woodland Drive area that tragic morning. He was found in a wooded area between an apartment complex and the former Dene KSA国际影视传媒檕nia young offenders facility.
Those making speeches during the Oct. 6 ceremony included former town councillor Kevin Wallington and Insp. Kurtis Pillipow, the officer-in-charge of the NWT's South District.
Seaward said even though the crime happened nearly 20 years ago, it's heartening to see the community still come out and show support to police the way they've done for many years.
"As police officers, it's easy for us to feel as if we're fighting a never-ending battle, especially with the rise in crime we've seen recently," he said. "But for people to still come out and honour the sacrifice that officers like Const. Worden made 17 years ago makes us feel supported. This is a great community with great people and we've been so fortunate to have had such a great relationship with so many."
Emrah Bulatci was named as the suspect in the shooting and a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest. He was eventually apprehended in Edmonton on Oct. 12, 2007 and brought back to Yellowknife to answer to a charge of first-degree murder. He was convicted of that crime in 2009 and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. He filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Canada in 2012 but it was dismissed.
He has since applied to for early release under what's known as the "faint hope" clause. The clause, which allows anyone sentenced to life in prison with a parole eligibility of more than 15 years to apply for a judicial review of their sentence, was repealed from the Criminal Code of Canada in March 2011. The clause isnSA国际影视传媒檛 applicable to those who committed crimes after Dec. 2, 2011, but since Bulatci was convicted in 2009, heSA国际影视传媒檚 eligible to do so.
