By C1 Staff
MANITOBA — The death of an officer from the Pas Correctional Center was mourned Sunday as her name was added to a list of peace officers whose lives were lost in the line of duty.
The Winnipeg Sun reports that Rhonda Commodore died Nov. 6, 2014, during a prisoner transport when the vehicle slid on an icy road and she was thrown from the vehicle.
The memorial service was held before hundreds of onlookers inside the Manitoba Legislative Building.
“[Rhonda] is sorely missed, at work and by her family and community … She leaves behind a son and a mother and a father, so it’s been really tough,” Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh said.
“It’s a time when we can reflect upon, not only public service people like Ms. Commodore, but also on the sacrifice that families make to enable people to go and protect the public.
“It’s important that we recognize the importance of our peace officers and the sacrifices they have made. There is no truer definition of a hero.”
Corporal George Hawkins was also added to the list, having died of encephalitis caused by a tick bite while hunting down a suspect in the deep words in 1968.
“He will now be properly recognized along with these other men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Kevin Brosseau, assistant commissioner of the RCMP D Division, said. “It’s important to recognize that the sacrifices they made allow us to live in a peaceful, secure community.”
Mackintosh said the justice department is working on stronger legislation for cases that involve assaults on peace officers.