Photo: CTV

John Davidson's children at his celebration of life.

UPDATE: 2:26 p.m.

The grief-stricken widow of Abbotsford Const. John Davidson was unable to speak during a huge celebration of his life Sunday.

Instead, Denise Davidson's tribute to her husband was read by a fellow police officer.

"He hadn't finished what he started, both in and out of uniform," she had written, railing against the "cruel set of circumstances" on Nov. 6th when he was shot and killed by a suspect.

"He deserved a longer life."

The chief of the Abbotsford police department said an oily blackness fell on the city when a shot rang out, killing Davidson almost two weeks ago.

Chief Bob Rich revealed details at the celebration of Davidson's life about what happened when the officer confronted a man alleged to have stolen a vehicle from an auto mall two days earlier.

Rich says Davidson was the first officer on the scene when there was a report of a man firing rounds from a shotgun into a truck and then a shot rang out, fatally wounding the officer.

"When that shot rang out evil won. There was an oily blackness that fell upon our city. It was awful. I cannot imagine a darker thing to have happen to us," Rich told Davidson's celebration of life.

Rich said the man was later surrounded by five Abbotsford officers who fired on the vehicle, hitting him.

"That man's evil intentions, I totally believe were to kill more of us. There was going to be a rampage in the city of Abbotsford, I don't know who would have fallen," he said. "But they stopped him at that moment and their lights shone bright at that moment."

Since then, Rich said there's been an outpouring of support from fellow officers and the public.

Davidson, 53, was remembered as a man admired for his dedication to his community and his kindness to those he encountered.

His friend, Abbotsford Sgt. Jason Scott told the service that Davidson had a positive influence on his co-workers and the youth he worked with.

Scott said Davidson was good at what he did and was proud to be a husband, father and police officer.

Before the event began, thousands in the building were silent as eight of Davidson's fellow officers carried his coffin into Abbotsford Centre arena.

The officer's service belt and both his police hats from Abbotsford and Northumbria were placed atop his flag-covered coffin.

Davidson got his start in policing in Northumbria in the northeastern United Kingdom in 1993 and had worked in the Abbotsford department for 11 years.

A suspect, Alberta resident Oscar Arfmann, 65, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Davidson's death.

The officer is survived by his wife and three adult children.

Officers from across the country and the United Kingdom attended the event.