Thousands of Officers March in Funeral Procession for Two Edmonton Police Constables Killed on Duty

Police march along side the hearses during the procession for Edmonton Police Service constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan in Edmonton, March 27, 2023. The officers were killed in the line of duty on March 16, 2023. The Canadian Press/Jason Franson

EDMONTON—Thousands of somber Edmonton Police Service (EPS) officers in blue dress uniforms marched in rows of eight along the downtown streets of Edmonton today, accompanying the bodies of Constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan, who were killed in the line of duty earlier this month.

The two-and-a-half kilometre procession was part of the regimental funeral being held on March 27 for the two officers. It began at the Alberta legislature grounds just before noon and made its way to Rogers Place, with an estimated 45 fire, police, emergency services, and military communities from across the country taking part, with thousands of participants marching in tight unison.

Access to Rogers Place for the funeral was limited to family, special guests, EPS members, and supporters from within law enforcement, emergency services, and military communities. The public was invited to pay their respects along the procession route and attend a live stream of the funeral being played on screens in the Ice District Plaza.

Spectators lined the procession route as bagpipes and drums played. Fire trucks parked along the streets, with multiple road closures for the event, as Edmonton fire crews stood at attention to pay their respects. A long line of RCMP in red dress uniforms and brown, knee-high boots participated in the march, as did a large contingent of Calgary police officers and other police forces.

Photos of Jordan and Ryan were displayed on the large electronic screens outside Rogers Place, as the hearse carrying the constables entered through the east dock of the underground parkade.

Air 1, the EPS’s front-line support helicopter, flew overhead, with police, fire, and military from a reported 35 regions across the country participating in the procession.

The funeral is expected to include tributes from Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee, Edmonton Police Association president Curtis Hoople, and Alberta Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani, along with eulogies for both Jordan and Ryan.

The officers’ caskets will be brought onto the stage and draped with a Canadian flag. Later in the service, the police chief will fold the flags and present them to the slain officers’ families.

Ryan, 30, and Jordan, 35, were shot killed by a 16-year-old teenage male, on a routine call about a domestic disturbance on March 16. The teenager also seriously wounded his mother before killing himself.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.