Town of Wolseley, Sask., lines streets to honour fallen RCMP officer

Around 200 peoplelined the streets in the town ofWolseley, Sask., on Tuesday to honour an RCMP officer killed on the job. Schools, other localsand people from out of town attended the sombre event.

The RCMPsaid Saturday thatConst.Shelby Patton had been hit by astolen truck while on duty that morningand died at the scene.Two people face charges includingmanslaughter and possession of stolen property.

The town had askedpeople to line the streets as Patton's body was brought back to the funeral home.Students and staff fromWolseley High School were among those who stood waiting. A teacher toldCBCNews that Patton worked with the school and many students knew him.People from the local elementary school stoodnearthe funeral home for the last leg of the constable's return.The procession ended around 1 p.m. CST.

"He was a very, very good man," Vickey Gosselinsaid after watching the procession. "He had a ready smile for everybody and he had a beautiful smile. He was well liked by a lot of people."

Gosselin is a commissioner for the Indian Head RCMPdetachment and had worked with Patton since he arrived. She said he was young, but mature for his age, and treated everyone with respect.

WATCH | Procession for fallen Mountie:

People lined the streets of Wolseley, Sask., to show support for an RCMP officer killed in the line of duty

3 years ago

Duration 1:39

Schools, locals and people from out of town attended the procession in honour of Const. Shelby Patton. The 26-year-old Mountie was killed while on duty over the weekend.

She said she used to tell Pattonto be careful every time he went out.

"The first two days were extremely hard to get around the fact that he was gone," Gosselin said. "It's not fair. It's not fair that such a young man had to go that way and it's just not right."

Gosselin came tothe procession to honour her late coworker. Abe Aoun came out to honour his late friend.

"He's very close to everyone in this town,"Aounsaid."He called me Uncle Abe. He's always cheering up everybody in town, welcoming everyone. He's a good officer. I'm going to miss him."

Aounlives in Wolseley and used to live in Indian Head. The two first met around 2015 when he called Patton to discipline his son, he said.His son is now graduating as an RCMP officer.

Aoun drove to Regina early Tuesday morning to print photographs of Patton to give out around town. He said he wants people to remember Patton as the smiling, helpful person he was.

"I know some people, they don't like cops. But don't kill them," hesaid. "They're humans."

Police say Patton was following a stolen truck when he made a traffic stop in Wolseley.He was approaching on foot when hewas struck by the truck, police say. A passerby tried but was unable to resuscitate him.

Police say the two accused fled the scene and were arrested in a farmer's field in the town of Francis before 10 a.m. CST Saturday.

Patton had been a constable with the RCMP for more than six years. He worked at the Indian Head detachment since 2015. Before that he was on assignment at Parliament during February and March2015.

Lynn Taylor, her daughter Cheryl St. Louisand Taylor'sgrandchildren came out to the processiondressed in redto honour both Patton and Taylor'sfamily members who are officers. The family is from the nearby town of Grenfell.

"It's a tragedy. Small-townSaskatchewan. This doesn't happen in small-town Saskatchewan. People here are giving and caring people," Taylor said. "To have something this tragic happen to a young man just was overwhelming."

Taylor said officers in small towns are a part of the community. Her family made paper roses and a card for Patton.

"I want our kids to grow up knowing that the police are safe, the police are good," St. Louis said. "The police are just like us. And they work hard, though, to protect us."