Hamilton police will be among the hundreds at the funeral of Peel Const. Artem Ochakovsky at Mississauga’s Hershey Centre today.

It was a sombre group, particularly with the knowledge that there will be another funeral to attend in the next few days.

Yesterday 15-year OPP veteran Vu Pham suffered a fatal shot to the head at close range as he responded to a call near London. Arrangements for his funeral are yet to be determiend.

“Regrettably, I’ll go to the next one,” said one officer as he watched about 75 police, civilians and special constables board a bus..

“We’re saddened by his death which is followed by” what happened in London, said police chief Glenn De Caire.

De Caire cannot count the number of funerals he’s been to over the years, “in this line of work even one is too many,” he said. “It attacks every one of us to our very soul.”

Ochakovsky was a front-line officer, “out there every day responding to service calls and helping citizens to remain safe in the city,” De Caire said of the two-year veteran officer serving Brampton.

Ochakovsky was killed while responding to a non-emergency call, when he struck another vehicle and collided with a utility pole last week.

The funeral is to be held at 1 p.m. today.

“This is our opportunity to pay respect to the officer and his family,” said Sgt. Dan Forgan, a bag pipe player.

The central police station has a wall of honor to remember officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The wall has seven names on it dating back from 1903.  John C. McMurrich was the last officer to be killed in this city. He was shot  Dec. 22, 1968.