A Ridge Meadows RCMP officer who was killed last September while serving a search warrant in Coquitlam’s City Centre area is being honoured with a basketball court and lounge at the Pitt Meadows Family Recreation Centre.
The refurbished outdoor Const. Rick O’Brien Court, as well as a youth lounge, will officially open July 25 at 2 p.m.
The project is a partnership between the Vancouver Bandits basketball team, the City of Pitt Meadows and O’Brien’s widow, Nicole.
O’Brien and two other officers from Ridge Meadows RCMP were at a residence in the Evergreen building on Glen Drive, serving the warrant in relation to a drug investigation in Maple Ridge, when he was fatally shot. One of the other officers was injured.
The suspect, Nicholas Bellemare, 25, was also shot during the altercation. He faces criminal charges for first-degree murder and attempted murder with a firearm.
Bellemare is scheduled to face a pre-trial conference in Vancouver Provincial Court on Aug. 19.
O’Brien’s regimental funeral at the Langley Events Centre on Oct. 4, 2023, drew thousands of first responders from across North America.
O’Brien, the father of six children, was a frequent visitor to the recreation centre, where he shot hoops with local kids or hung out with them in the lounge.
“Rick was a hero that believed sports can inspire youth and bring people together,” said Dylan Kular, the president of the Vancouver Bandits, in a news release, adding the project will help foster positive relationships between young people and law enforcement.
“This court embodies Rick’s vision of unity and community,” said Nicole O’Brien. “I am excited to see his dream come to life.”
