1 of 5 | Toronto Police Sgt. Russell Ryan, 35, died of head injuries early Jan. 12 after trying to stop the hijacking of a snow plow. Photo handout by Toronto Police Services.
TORONTO, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- An estimated 14,000 people lined main Toronto streets Tuesday to honor a police officer killed last week trying to stop a man in a stolen snowplow.
Sgt. Ryan Russell, 35, suffered fatal injuries Wednesday when he was struck by the plow truck while trying to apprehend the rampaging driver.
Several main streets were closed for a procession leading to the Metro Convention Center, where a 1 p.m. funeral service was delayed for almost an hour to accommodate the crowds.
Police, fire and ambulance workers from across Canada and the United States began arriving Monday to march with the cortege and stand as honor guards, police said.
Russell, a 10-year veteran of the gangs and guns unit, is survived by his wife Christine, who spoke in a halting but steady voice at the service, as the couple's 2-year-old son Nolan watched.
"Ryan always put others before himself. On Jan. 12, this cost him his life," his wife said. "Ryan, we are all so proud of you."
Russell was the 40th Toronto officer to die in the line of duty. The last officer killed was Constable Laura Ellis in 2002, whose funeral drew more than 5,000 people, police documents show.
The man charged with first-degree murder in Russell's death, 44-year-old Richard Kachkar, was released from a hospital Monday after being treated for gunshot wounds. He is in an undisclosed jail outside of the city and scheduled to appear in court Friday, police said.