Slain cop remembered as a people person

Head of St Thomas Police Superintendent Allison Byfield said her officers were sombre and heartbroken after learning that their colleague District Constable Mark Anthony Forsythe had been shot and killed by unknown assailants.

Forsythe was assigned to the Trinityville Police Station in Seaforth. He was reportedly shot three times in the head and chest by the perpetrators before escaping. The incident occurred about 3 p.m. in Seaforth. Residents had reportedly expressed concern about suspicious activity in the space.

"He called the police, a patrol team close by for assistance, but while the team was on the way, he saw a suspicious looking man and approached him. As he neared this man, the man pulled a gun and opened gunfire at him. He received three bullets to the head and the chest," she added. The police's Corporate Communications Unit confirmed that Forsythe was pronounced dead at hospital shortly after he was taken there by a patrol team responding to the incident. Byfield told THE STAR that he was an exceptional policeman who prided himself on being punctual, efficient and helpful.

"It is a tough one for my staff at this time. We are trying to process what really happened and the memories of Mr Forsythe will linger with us for a very long time based on the type of person that he was. Always on call, readily accessible, completes assignments. That was Mr Forsythe," she said. The senior cop added that Forsythe was very sociable.

"Mr Forsythe is a policeman before he was actually sworn as a policeman because of his love for policing and policing activities. His ability to get along with persons, to garner information and to do social activities was unmatched. He was really a people person, he was actually manager for the St Thomas Police Division football team," she said.

Byfield said that shortly before Forsythe was murdered, she met with him on several policing matters.

"This is what makes it difficult right now, I looked him in the face sitting in my office and I had discussions with him on some matters that I wanted him to pursue in the Trinityville area. He promised that it will be done. It was on the way from my office back to the station at Trinityville Police Station he made a stop and that's how he lost his life," Byfield said.