Paramedic widow learned husband was shot while trying to save second Edmonton officer
Dennis Okeymow apologized to the officers’ families as court heard victim impact statements and arguments over how long he should spend behind bars.
The tragic story of paramedic Ashley Ryan and her late husband, Const. Brett Ryan, is one of profound loss and the lasting impact of a violent crime. On March 2023, Const. Brett Ryan and his partner, Const. Travis Jordan, were shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Edmonton. The gunman, 16-year-old Roman Shewchuk, had purchased a semi-automatic rifle from Dennis Okeymow, who was found guilty in May on multiple charges including manslaughter and criminal negligence.
Ashley Ryan, who was 15 weeks pregnant at the time, witnessed her husband's lifeless body in the ambulance bay and had to clean off his blood and brain matter. She now lives with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, and has had to leave her career as a paramedic. Her impact statement, along with those of Laurie and Annie Jordan, played a significant role in the sentencing hearing of Dennis Okeymow, who is now facing a potential 12 to 14-year prison sentence.
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