Edmonton police Constable Daniel Woodall poses for an official portrait in an undated photo released by the Edmonton Police Service in Edmonton, Alberta June 9, 2015. Woodall, 35, was killed and another officer was wounded when a man opened fire on them Tuesday night, police said.Supplied/Reuters
A Greater Manchester Police officer is paying tribute to his former colleague, Constable Daniel Woodall, who was killed Monday night during a shooting in Edmonton. He was 35 years old and leaves a wife and two young children.
Mr. Woodall joined Britain's Greater Manchester Police in August, 2002, and remained with the force until December, 2006, when he left his native England for Canada and eventually joined the Edmonton police force.
"I can't really comprehend this has happened and I am in shock. It really is tragic and my heart and thoughts go out to his family and colleagues," said Detective Inspector Jim Faulkner, who was acting sergeant at the Wythenshawe police station, where Mr. Woodall was based. The Greater Manchester Police officer shared memories of his former colleague in a statement.
Det. Insp. Faulkner remembered the young officer as a "truly ebullient man" who was keen to learn, quick to volunteer for new challenges and always had a smile on his face. His appraisal from 2004 recognized his team ethos and popularity among his colleagues.
"He would do anything for any of his colleagues, every one of whom liked him and were sad when he decided to leave for Canada. This was done purely for the benefit of his young family," Det. Insp. Faulkner said.
Wythenshawe is an area south of Manchester city centre, near the international airport and home to one of the largest social-housing projects in Europe dating back to the 1920s.
It was imagined as a "Garden City" where Manchester residents and workers could be housed outside the city and away from the overcrowded slums that had grown around the factories and mills of industrial Manchester. But deprivation and crime plagued the area in the postwar period.
In 2007, British Conservative Leader David Cameron visited the social-housing project as a part of a "hug-a-hoodie" initiative, but his photo-op was hijacked by a young man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and pointing an imaginary gun at the future prime minister's head. The area has been the subject of regeneration projects and has seen improvements. But in 2013, the area was still dubbed the violence capital of Greater Manchester.
In 2002, as a fresh police recruit just out of training, Mr. Woodall joined the Wythenshawe police station and faced challenges inside the police force and on the streets.
"At the time, B [response] group had some strong characters and some very
experienced officers, yet Dan did not let this phase him and he was quickly one
of the team and friends with his colleagues," Det. Insp. Faulk-
There is one investigation and arrest that sticks out in Mr. Faulkner's mind. While responding to a serious assault, Mr. Woodall noticed that the offender had come back to the scene where the assault had taken place.
"Dan was keen to make the arrest but the offender ran off on seeing Dan. Unperturbed, Dan gave chase and threw his torch [flashlight] at the offender's back, which caused him to stumble and fall," Det. Insp. Faulkner said.
On Tuesday, the Greater Manchester Police Federation, the group that represents the interests of members of the police force, also paid tribute in a statement released on Facebook.
"The thoughts of all at Greater Manchester Police Federation – and the officers we represent – are with Daniel's family, friends and colleagues. Both new and old," said the statement.