Constable Michael Joseph Buday

Cst. Michael Joseph Buday, 27, died of gunshot wounds on March 19, 1985, near Teslin Lake, B.C. Born July 15, 1957, at Brooks, Alberta, he joined the Force at Calgary on October 5, 1976, and was assigned to Troop 10 for recruit training at Depot. Upon completion of basic training he was posted to “E” Division where he served at Prince George (rural and city) Detachments from December 1977 until January 1978; He was then ransferred to Terrace, working at rural, municipal detachments; GIS, and as a member of the Terrace Emergency Response Team. In June 1984 he was posted to the Police Dog Service Section of Prince Rupert Sub-Division, stationed at Terrace.

On March 18, 1985, a resident of Whitehorse, Yukon, checked his cabin near Teslin Lake and found that it had been ransacked and much of its contents stolen. While at the scene he observed Michael Eugene Oros attempting to flee across the frozen lake with the stolen goods. The victim alerted members of Teslin Detachment, who immediately chartered an aircraft and flew over the area. Spotting Oros on the froze lake service, they made a low pass to confirm his identity, and were shot at by the suspect. The search plane broke off its surveillance; and the assistance of Emergency Response Teams (ERT) from Terrace and Prince Rupert was requested.

Oros camped on an island in Teslin Lake overnight; then, in the morning hours of March 19, moved onto the open lake surface. The ERT landed on the lake and deployed in a manner so as to contain Oros. The thief continued trekking parallel to the shoreline; directly toward ERT group. When within 400 yards of these members, he broke from the shoreline and entered the bush. The ERT members, including Cst. Michael Buday and his police service dog “Trooper”, pursued Oros into the woods. Oros stealthily circled Cst. Buday in the bush and shot him from behind, killing him instantly. The remaining ERT members returned the fire, and Oros was killed

Date modified:

2022-01-19