The police force in Delta, B.C. is showing support for a colleague charged with second-degree murder by wearing and selling bracelets with the officer's badge number on them.
Const. Jordan MacWilliams is accused in the 2012 shooting death of Mehrdad Bayrami, 48.
Bayrami took a woman hostage briefly as part of a domestic dispute at a New Westminster casino, then started a lengthy standoff with police as he sat in his car with a gun.
The incident ended when Bayrami was shot by police. He died in hospital.
MacWilliams was charged in October. Now his comrades are showing their support through blue bracelets that also feature the Delta Police Department's core values: honour, integrity, courage, and trust.
"The bracelets were designed by our Police Association as a way for us to show our support for Cst. MacWilliams and honour our core values," said a police force Facebook post earlier this month. Originally intended just for staff members, the public can now buy a limited supply of bracelets for $2 each (the cost of production).
And they seem to be popular:
“From what I can see it’s a quiet announcement by those who know him to support win, lose or draw,” Delta Mayor Lois Jackson — who also chairs the Delta Police Board — told CKNW. "Frankly, I don’t have a problem with that if you’re supporting one of your colleagues."
MacWilliams was scheduled to make a court appearance Thursday.
With files from The Canadian Press
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