Steph Lemay says he’s alive because of Const. Douglas Larche, one of the three RCMP officers killed in the line of duty on June 4 during a lone gunman’s rampage in Moncton, N.B.
In the moments before the three officers were shot, Lemay nearly rode his motorcycle through the scene of alleged shooter Justin Bourque’s ambush for police. Lemay says he didn’t know what was happening, but Larche, who was in his police car at the time, saw him and turned him away, at the cost of his own life.
“The gentleman jumped from the car and he started running towards me, yelling ‘Go back, go back, go back!’” Lemay tells CTV News.
Lemay did as he was told. Moments later, he heard gunfire.
Douglas James Larche, a 40-year-old married father of three, had been shot and killed.
Now, Lemay is finding ways to honour the man he says saved his life. His green motorcycle – the same one he was riding the day Larche died – is now decorated with the Mountie’s name and badge number. “D. Larche,” says the inscription on the front of the bike, right below the headlight.
Lemay says Larche will stay with him for the rest of his life.
“If I’m on a bike, I think I’m always going to have his name somewhere,” he says.
And that’s not his only tribute to Larche. Lemay’s Facebook profile picture is an image of the motorcycle’s inscription. He’s also set up a Facebook group to arrange a neighbourhood block party for those affected by the 30-hour lockdown that followed the shootings. According to the block party page, all proceeds from the event will go to the families of the three fallen Mounties.
“The more my story gets out… the more people will know what Doug did for me,” Lemay wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.
With files from CTV Atlantic
