Prince George, B.C. – Three  members of the RCMP are among  those  who have  had their  service recognized   by  receiving meritorious service awards  this evening  at the Police Honours Night in Victoria.

The Meritorious Service award  recognizes exemplary performance that exceeds expectations.

The three are among  40 officers  from  police departments  throughout B.C.  to  be  honoured  with this  award.

The three, Constables Lee Bellamy (now with Nakusp Detachment)  Scott Johnston, and Corporal  Colin Warwick  have been recognized for  their efforts in two separate  cases.

Csts. Bellamy and Johnston disarmed a suicidal male and prevented him from causing further  harm to himself.

Corporal  Warwick  of the  PG detachment’s  Canine Unit  has been  recognized for “displaying initiative and commitment to search a vast forested area for the body of a murder victim.”

A further 16 officers  from   various Police  units  in B.C.   have been honoured with an award of valour,  the highest award for  any police officer in B.C.    In each case,  they made a decision  to put their  own lives at risk  to save others.  Their efforts include:

• Four officers who searched a burning Prince Rupert apartment building for occupants despite thick smoke and very limited visibility.
• A Kamloops constable whose rapid intervention when a fellow officer was shot at close range prevented further harm, and whose rendering of first aid helped save the officer’s life.
• Two Vancouver Island officers who kicked in doors and braved a cluttered, exhaust-filled garage – where the concentration of carbon monoxide exceeded lethal levels – to pull a large, suicidal male to safety.