OTTAWA — Just a week ago, Const. “Ireneusz” Eric Czapnik told a colleague over coffee he was living the dream, working as a police officer. Now, Czapnik’s friends and family are mourning his death.
He was attacked and stabbed outside an Ottawa hospital at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. He died an hour later.
“For him, it was part of a dream and he realized his dream,” said Ottawa Police Special Const. Robert Konopka. “I asked him, ‘How are things’ and he says, ‘I’m living the dream.’ ”
Konopka and other colleagues were stunned at the news of Czapnik’s death. Visibly shaken, Ottawa Police Chief Vern White broke the news Tuesday that one his officers had been killed on the job.
“I spoke to his inspector and he talked about how community-minded he was, friendly, well-liked, jovial, loved being a police officer, loved being in this country, a lot of pride,” White said Tuesday night.
Konopka can’t understand his friend’s death. He said Czapnik was very strong and should have been able to stand up to his attacker.
“I’m still in shock. I know he can handle himself in situations like that. He’s a big, capable guy,” Konopka said. “He must have been caught totally by surprise.
At an age when many police officers would be near retirement, Czapnik left his job at a furniture store to join the force. He joined the Ottawa Police Service on April 10, 2007, telling his friends he had the best job in the world.
Despite his age, he was accepted onto the force because he met all of the qualifications. White said Czapnik was a good applicant and a mature man.
Konopka, who is also of Polish background, “talked shop” over coffee a week ago with Czapnik. Czapnik shared stories about his passion for police work. “He said he’s busy, he’s enjoying it and he liked the idea of working in the area where he lived,” Konopka said. “When you change your career at that age, you have to be 100 per cent, and he was not surprised that it brought him satisfaction.”
Czapnik followed in the footsteps of his father, who was an officer in Poland for about 30 years.
“Like his father, he was proud to be a police officer and enjoyed serving his community,” White said.
Czapnik’s wife, Anna Korutowska, said her husband has been a police officer for three years. She was too distraught to say much more.
Czapnik has three children in their 20s from a previous marriage. He re-married several years ago and had a three-year-old son with his second wife.
Friends and family said Czapnik was proud to wear his police uniform. “He knew that there were dangers, but he loved the work, and he thought he was contributing something to the betterment of the community,” said Michael Wooff, Czapnik’s brother-in-law.
The last time Wooff saw Czapnik was on Christmas Eve. The family shared a traditional Polish feast at Czapnik’s home.
“He was very good with tools and fixing things,” Wooff said. “They have a very lovely home and it’s just very difficult there now.”
Czapnik was born in Warsaw in 1958. At 19, he joined the Polish Army to perform one year of mandatory service. He then worked for seven years with Warsaw Aircraft Enterprise as an aircraft mechanic. He lived in Greece for two years working in construction.
In 1990, he emigrated to Canada. A woman who used to work with Czapnik in Ottawa before he joined the force, who would identify herself only as Denise, said Czapnik was “a very pleasant personality. He was very obliging with his clients and he was a great co-worker.”
About 75 police officers and a few members of the public gathered for a brief vigil Tuesday, lit by flashing lights from police cruisers still parked at the scene of the stabbing.
They gathered in silence at about 5 p.m., forming a tight, ragged circle around a snowbank.
A police officer in the centre of the circle ordered them to attention. They saluted Czapnik, then broke into small groups, where they spoke quietly and shook hands with one another. Two RCMP officers attended the vigil. Asked how an officer would cope with such a grim event, RCMP Const. Todd Kikkert said, “You go home and hug your family. You continue on with your work.”
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
Ottawa police have charged an RCMP officer with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Czapnik.
Kevin Gregson, 43, who will appear in court Wednesday, was also charged with robbery and using an imitation firearm in the commission of an offence.
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