For Derek Bond, receiving the RCMP Commissioner’s Bravery Award was another step forward.
“I think it was just the end of a chapter, but I don't think the book’s finished yet,” he said with a laugh.
Bond, a retired auxiliary constable, and Const. David Wynn were among 17 recipients of the award Wednesday. The two were honoured, Wynn posthumously, for demonstrating courage in the face of dangerous circumstances outside the normal line of duty.
Both Bond and Wynn were shot at close range by Shawn Rehn in January 2015 while they were attempting to arrest him inside the Apex Casino in St. Albert. While Bond recovered from gunshot wounds to his arm and torso, Wynn died in hospital.
Shelly MacInnis-Wynn, David's widow, said it was an “emotional moment”.
“It was very emotional but a very proud moment. And I could see how proud they were of their dad when they accepted this award,” she said.
The scars of tragedy
Bond said he and his partner arrived at the Apex Casino to help Wynn arrest Rehn in January 2015. Wynn was alone at the time.
The next set of events happened in about four seconds, but time slowed down for Bond. He was hit in the arm and torso, sending him to the ground.
“As I was lying on the ground ... knowing I was still alive, I was probably most fearful that the guy was going to look at me, see that I was still alive and put a round into me again,” he said.
Instead of trying to lay still and play dead, Bond grabbed the radio and called for help. At that moment, he said getting backup was his only concern.
For the last four years, Bond has been working through PTSD caused by that tragic night. He moved with his wife – who also has PTSD from serving in the military – to Vancouver Island a few years ago.
While the list is long for things that trigger Bond’s PTSD, being in large crowds is a big one.
“It's the unknown,” he said.
Bond was an auxilliary constable for nine years with the St. Albert RCMP. Before that, he had worked as a salesperson at Leon’s, where he met a St. Albert police officer who encouraged him to check out the auxilliary program.
He began volunteering on weekends and said he immediately felt at home.
“It would be like you and your sister or brother driving around in a car, it's family. You get to know them really well,” he said.
At the awards ceremony, Bond was able to reunite with many of the members who served alongside him. Even though RCMP members have visited him over the years, he said it was nice to see them in one place and hear their stories.
Remembering Wynn
Wynn joined the St. Albert RCMP in 2009. Before that, he had been a paramedic for Emergency Health Services in Bridgewater, N.S. from 1996 to 2009.
Shelly remembers her husband as an outgoing, laid-back person with an infectious laugh. As an officer, he wasn’t concerned about titles and promotions.
“He loved his job as a police officer, doing the general duty every single day. And getting out there, being interactive with the community,” she said.
Since Wynn died, the family has been working to pull the pieces back together. Shelly said wives of officers go through a lot of stress, knowing their husbands are performing a dangerous job.
“People don't realize that when you're married to a police officer, it's not just their job, this becomes a lifestyle for the whole family,” she said.
Receiving the bravery award was a proud moment for the family. Shelly found out first over the phone a month ago, and then by receiving a letter in the mail.
“I would like for people to know that Dave left doing what he loved, doing the best that he could do as an officer and protecting everyone within his community. And he truly loved being an officer,” she said with a hitch in her voice.
