Two years after they were shot and killed during a rampage in a Moncton, N.B. neighbourhood, three RCMP officers were immortalized in a bronze sculpture as fathers, protectors, and heroes. Located along the riverfront in Moncton, the monument honours the Mounties who died, but also pays tribute to their wounded colleagues, families, fellow first responders and everyone impacted by the nightmare that unfolded on June 4, 2014. The bronze monument features life-size statues of constables Doug Larche, Dave Ross and Fabrice Gevaudan.
Morgan MacDonald, the Newfoundland-based artist who created the monument, said he worked hard to respect the legacy and memory of the three men. The three men were among the police officers who responded to a neighbourhood in the west end of the city following reports of a man with a gun. Justin Bourque strolled past civilian residents that he encountered, choosing only to shoot at police. He was captured following a 30-hour manhunt that gripped the city with fear. Bourque is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 75 years.
The monument features the three men wearing different uniforms — Larche in the red serge, Gevaudan in the working patrol uniform, and Ross in the uniform of a dog master. MacDonald incorporated items into the base of the monument to speak to who these men were beyond the uniform. Larche, an avid runner, is surrounded by prints in the sculpture’s base made from his running shoes and medals that he won. Gevaudan mastered a range of skills during his career, and there are imprints of challenge coins he earned for such things as becoming a member of the underwater recovery team. Ross was a dog handler.
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