Mourners remember slain cop as hero who lived his dream

Thousands of police officers, firefighters, paramedics and family members remembered murdered Ottawa Police Const. Eric Czapnik as a hero who died while living his life long dream -- to follow in his father's footsteps and serve as a cop.

Czapnik, 51, was sitting in his cruiser filling out paperwork on Dec. 29 when he was ambushed by a man who attacked him with a knife. He died a few hours later.

Wife Anna Korutowska recalled her husband as a person who made a lasting impact on the community he served.

"We are all poorer for Eric's passing," she said during a reception held Thursday evening.

"However, I hope that all who knew him will remember him as an inspiring, caring and honourable man who will forever be missed.

"And please remember: Eric was a hero in life, not in death."

Earlier in the day, about 8,000 people gathered at the Ottawa Civic Centre for a public sendoff to the fallen officer.

At the service, stepson Lukasz Galaska took a series of deep breaths before telling mourners that he hopes to become the same kind of dedicated and passionate father that Czapnik was to him.

"Too often do we make decisions that only benefit ourselves, but the man that wore badge #1907 did the work of the unselfish: he devoted himself to others. That's what made him a hero," Galaska said.

"(The) last few days we've shed a million tears and felt our hearts break even more. I've never met a person so dedicated and passionate about everything they did."

"You have raised the bar for us, and we will not disappoint."

He finished his speech by saying in Polish "we all love you dad." Czapnik's family moved to Canada from Poland in 1990.

Known as "Pickles"

Amid the sadness, Const. Troy Froats, a friend of Czapnik and fellow platoon member shared stories of Czapnik's pride for his family, his dog, and his favourite food, pickles, leading to his nickname of "Pickles."

When addressed as "Eric" by his supervisor, Froats said Czapnik would answer: "You call me Pickles, sir" in his thick, Polish accent. He said Czapnik refused to reply until he was addressed by the name.

"You could count on Pickles to always be on your side," Froats said.

"You'll be deeply missed but I know you'll be with us, watching over us, protecting us, like you always have."

Speakers, which included family and coworkers, addressed the crowd in English, French, and Polish.

Czapnik's mother and sister made the trip from Poland to attend the funeral. His father recently suffered a stroke and was too ill to fly.

Czapnik was a husband to Anna and father to four children: Catherine, Arthur, Lukasz and Anthony, who is three years old.

"It now falls to all of us, family and friends alike, so that (Anthony) grows up to understand the person his father was, the principles by which he stood, and the sacrifices that he made," said Czapnik's brother-in-law Michael Wooff.

In addition to his dedication to work and his family, Froats said Czapnik was known for taking meticulous notes. In fact, he was attacked on Dec. 29 while taking notes in his cruiser outside an Ottawa hospital.

Nearby paramedics restrained the suspect and tried to save Czapnik, but were unable to.

His accused killer, 43-year-old Kevin Gregson, is a suspended member of the RCMP.

Czapnik is the first Ottawa police officer to be killed on the job since 1983.

Czapnik was "a special breed"

Czapnik was only a few years into his career when he died. He joined the police force late in life after a career in retail. He was following in the footsteps of his father who was an officer in Poland for 30 years.

"He was a special breed," said Ottawa Police Chief Vern White, who praised Czapnik for having the strength and determination to join the police force when he was 48 years old.

He trained alongside recruits in their 20s, who were in their physical prime. He successfully graduated, and was the oldest recruit the Ottawa Police force ever hired.

Galaska said that whenever Czapnik had days off during training, he would spend them studying, so he could do better. He would call home to tell his family how happy he was with the new path he had chosen.

White said that Czapnik was often the first out on patrol during his shifts and was eager to take calls to assist fellow officers.

He read a statement from one of the recruiters who trained Czapnik at the Ontario Police College.

"I've never seen someone want something so much in life. I know that he will give his best. And he did."

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty told Czapnik's family that Eric was a good man who risked his life to serve the community.

"When he was away from your family, he was protecting our families," he told them.

Before the funeral, an estimated 4,000 first responders marched in a procession through Ottawa streets, so that they could pay their respects. Pallbearers brought Czapnik's casket into the Ottawa Civic Centre, and placed his police cap on top.

A private burial followed Czapnik's service, along with a private reception for his family and some fellow Ottawa police officers.

Friend Marek Gryko told CTV Ottawa that the burial service was a "very, very somber and emotional" affair attended by about 200 people.

"We will miss him dearly, he was a very good guy."