Court hears impact statements in sentencing for man who sold gun used to kill Edmonton officers

Explainer

A sentencing hearing for the man who sold the rifle used to kill two Edmonton police officers in 2023 heard emotional victim impact statements from the slain constables' families on Tuesday. Dennis Okeymow, 22, was found guilty in May on 10 charges, including three counts of manslaughter and three counts of criminal negligence causing death. The court heard that weeks before the shooting, Okeymow sold a .22-calibre semi-automatic rifle and ammunition to a 16-year-old boy with a history of mental illness. The Crown is seeking a prison sentence of 12 to 14 years, while the defence asked for four and a half years of time already served with three years of probation. Court of King's Bench Justice John Little is to make a decision at a later date.

What did the victims' families say in court?

Ashley Ryan, the widow of Const. Brett Ryan and a paramedic of 13 years, described wiping blood and brain matter from her husband's face after he was shot. She was 15 weeks pregnant with their first child when she saw him arrive at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. "The blood-curdling screams that I let out when I realized that it was Brett on that stretcher will never not echo in that ambulance bay," Ryan told the court. She said she now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression and can no longer work as a paramedic. "I now have to be both mom and dad, the role Brett was looking forward to and so excited for," she said.

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Laurie Ryan, Brett Ryan's mother and a former emergency room nurse, said her son's death ended her career in health care. She described performing CPR on his lifeless body in the hospital. "For 35 years, I walked into emergency departments where people were frightened, injured, suffering and sometimes fighting for their own lives. I knew what to do," she said. "But when it was my own son lying there, all those years of experience could not save him … that helplessness is something I struggle with every day." Annie Jordan, the widow of Const. Travis Jordan, told the court the devastating loss was due to an illegal firearm sale. "A single act can send shock waves through countless lives," she said.

What were the circumstances of the officers' deaths?

Constables Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan were killed in March 2023 after responding to a domestic disturbance call at an Edmonton apartment building. They were ambushed and shot by 16-year-old Roman Shewchuk, who then turned the gun on himself. The trial heard that Shewchuk's mother had called police for help after her son strangled her, and she was also shot and injured when he opened fire on the officers. Days before the shooting, the teen used the same rifle to shoot a stranger in the head at a pizza shop. That victim, Richard Albert, survived but suffered serious and permanent injuries. Okeymow sold the semi-automatic rifle to Shewchuk weeks before these events.

What arguments were made for and against a lengthy sentence?

Prosecutor Adam Garrett argued Okeymow should have realized the risk of illegally selling the rifle and 80 rounds of ammunition to the teen. Garrett said Okeymow knew or was "wilfully blind" to Shewchuk's mental health issues and regularly sold him drugs. The prosecutor also said that when Okeymow heard about the restaurant shooting and suspected Shewchuk was the gunman, he did not warn anyone. In court, Okeymow apologized to the officers' families and the police service. "I understand that words won't change what happened that day, but I apologize. I'm sorry," he said.

Defence lawyer Jamil Sawani said his client was only 18 when charged and argued the Crown's proposed sentence would "consume the rest of his young adult life." Sawani presented parts of a pre-sentencing Indigenous background report, stating Okeymow's family was upended by the residential school system. The lawyer said Okeymow's mother grew up without her parents, did not know how to be a mother, and taught him to sell drugs. Okeymow was "born into tragedy," sent twice to foster care and witnessed his mother attempt suicide, Sawani said. He told the court his client has reconnected with his Indigenous culture and completed high school while in custody.

What happens next in the case?

Justice John Little will deliver his sentencing decision at a later, unspecified date. He must weigh the Crown's request for 12 to 14 years in prison against the defence's submission for a sentence of time served plus probation. The defence lawyer concluded his arguments by stating the court now holds the power to determine if the tragedy claims another life. "The deaths of Const. Jordan and Const. Ryan cannot be undone, the death of Mr. Shewchuk cannot be undone," Sawani said. "What remains in the court's power is whether this tragedy claims one other promise of a life that could be different."

With files from Global News, CBC News and CityNews