"Shaelyn Yang was always a hero": Mourners gather at funeral service for RCMP officer (PHOTOS/VIDEO)
On Wednesday morning, hundreds gathered at the Richmond Oval to pay their respects to fallen Burnaby RCMP officer Shaelyn Yang.
“Shaelyn Yang was always a hero. Her whole life was dedicated to helping others from the community she served to those in need, to her cousin going through a tough first year of university,” Ash Tan, Yang’s cousin, said.
Sukhwant Dhillon/AM 600 Sher-E-Punjab Radio
Tan says his cousin’s heroic qualities were always known by her family and friends who were so proud of her, “and now all of us, all of Canada and Taiwan and the whole world, can join us in knowing this too.”
Sukhwant Dhillon/AM 600 Sher-E-Punjab Radio
“I always want you to know that Shae was more than a hero, she was human, deeply, deeply, human. Everything she did was defined by her empathy, compassion, and her belief that she could change the world,” Tan said about the constable.
Tan was among the many who spoke highly of the fallen officer at the regimental service in Richmond, which was held following a 2,000-person procession with RCMP officers, first responders, and other dignitaries from across the country.
Sukhwant Dhillon/AM 600 Sher-E-Punjab Radio
Many residents lined the streets throughout the morning to watch the procession, and a number of them wore red to pay their respects.
The service was held in the city where Yang lived prior to her death on October 18. The 31-year-old had a background in mental health outreach programs, and her cousin says she was always trying to help others.
“She helped everyone she could because she had faith in them,” Tan said. “She had faith that each and every one of us could make this world a better place, and she kept this faith despite all the struggles she had in her life. She faced so much adversity. The sort of adversity that can really change a person. But in all the time I knew her she only ever grew warmer and kinder than before.”
Sukhwant Dhillon/AM 600 Sher-E-Punjab Radio
“It feels colder now without her here,” he said.
An investigation into the events which led up to Yang’s death is ongoing. A man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with her stabbing which occurred at a Burnaby park.
Yang was in the area to assist a city official in meeting with a man who was camping in the park. There was an altercation, and the suspect was shot, although his injuries were not life-threatening. Yang died from stab wounds.
BC RCMP
Jongwon Ham, 37, made his first court appearance two weeks ago and remains in custody.
In Canada, a first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
With files from Amir Ali and Nikitha Martins.