Murder charge laid in killing of B.C. Mountie

The day after an RCMP officer was killed and two others were injured while executing a search warrant in Coquitlam, B.C., charges of murder and attempted murder have been laid.

One day after the shooting death of RCMP Const. Rick O'Brien in Coquitlam, B.C., a murder charge has been laid.

Nicholas Bellemare, a 25-year-old Coquitlam man, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder with a firearm.

The Lower Mainland's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced the charge in a news release Saturday afternoon.

IHIT is leading the investigation into the shooting of O'Brien and second RCMP officer who was wounded during an altercation in Coquitlam around 10 a.m. Friday.

The officers were executing a search warrant related to a drug investigation originating in Maple Ridge, IHIT said.

A third officer was also injured during the incident. The two wounded officers were taken to hospital and have since been released, according to police.

The suspect was also shot and wounded during the incident, and the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. has been called to investigate the actions of police.