Two Hamilton Police officers. Constables Stephen Hume and Trevor Viersen were honoured as “Members of the Month” for their involvement in a harrowing encounter with an armed an dangerous criminal.
It was late at night on January 31 when Hume and Vierson were called to the area of Barton Street East and Ottawa Street North for reports of a suspicious person. They spotted a man climbing the fire escape of a building, heading towards the roof. Moments later, police confronted the man, not knowing at the time that he was Jamie Dryden who wanted for several violent offences in Hamilton and that he was also wanted on a federal warrant for breach of terms of release from a prison sentence. Dryden took off with Hume and Vierson in pursuit. Then the suspect pulled out a gun and started firing at the officers. They caught up with the gunman but he grabbed a woman and held her in front of himself as a human shield. The man let the women go, uninjured and made his escape. Police noted that Dryden was wearing a blonde wig.A couple of weeks later working with several other police services Dryden was tracked down to an address in Brantford where he was arrested after an all-day standoff.
The Members of the Month Awards program has been delayed somewhat due to the COVID pandemic.
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