NEWS RELEASES
OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE
************************* Statement from family of Constable Ireneusz ‘Eric’ Czapnik
OTTAWA - (December 29) - Today we are faced with the loss of Eric, a police officer and we grieve the loss of a husband, a father of four children, a brother and a son.
Eric, who worked for three years as an Ottawa police officer, was a proud Polish Canadian who came to Canada in 1990.
He was an engaged and dedicated police officer who truly enjoyed working in the community.
He was a proud officer following in the footsteps of his father who was also an officer for over 30 years in Poland.
This is a most difficult time for our family.
We would like to ask the media and the public to respect our privacy during this time.
Thank you.
The Czapnik Family
************************* Official biography - Constable Ireneusz ‘Eric’ Czapnik, May 26, 1958 – December 29, 2009
Constable Ireneusz ‘Eric’ Czapnik was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1958.
At 19, he joined the Polish Army to perform one year of mandatory service.
Once he completed his service, he worked for seven years with Warsaw Aircraft Enterprise as an aircraft mechanic.
Afterwards, Eric resided in Greece for two years, working in construction.
In 1990, Eric immigrated to Canada and worked at Johnson’s Business Interiors for 16 years.
Eric joined the Ottawa Police Service on April 10, 2007.
He was assigned to patrol in East Division, where he enjoyed interacting with the public and serving the community.
Eric was a husband and the father of four children, three sons and a daughter.
Eric was an active volunteer with the Polish Community Association and played in the Old Timer’s Ottawa Carleton Soccer League.
His parents and sister live in Warsaw, where his father was a police officer for over 30 years.
************************* Earlier SooToday.com coverage of this story