Kevin Vickers

Early life and family

Vickers was born at Hotel Dieu in Chatham, New Brunswick, where his mother Monica Margaret (née Kingston) was a nurse and his father, William James "Bill" (1921-2004), operated a dairy named Northumberland Co-op Dairy. He is of Irish heritage.

Vickers grew up in Newcastle (now part of the city of Miramichi). His father invited home students from developing countries studying co-operatives at the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Policing

Vickers served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for 29 years, attaining the rank of Chief Superintendent. He gained prominence as the incident commander during the 1999–2000 Burnt Church Crisis. He spent ten years stationed in Alberta and ten years stationed in the Northwest Territories, and subsequently was the director-general of the RCMP's aboriginal police services branch. In 2003, he became Director General of the National Contract Policing Branch for Canada, managing nine separate branches of law enforcement.

Throughout his RCMP career, Vickers provided security for VIPs, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew. He also served as an aide-de-camp for the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.

Sergeant-at-Arms

In June 2005 he joined the House of Commons as Director of Security Operations. He was appointed Sergeant-at-Arms for the Canadian House of Commons on August 24, 2006, and began serving on September 1, 2006.

On acting to permit the kirpan, the ceremonial dagger that observant Sikhs are required to wear at all times, to be worn in the Commons, Vickers recalled that in his interview for the post "... I told them that if they made me their Sergeant-at-Arms, there would be no walls built around Canada's Parliamentary buildings ... I have kept my promise."

In 2013, when Idle No More protestors arrived at Parliament Hill, Vickers participated in a ritual exchange of tobacco with Serpent River First Nation chief Isadore Day.

On October 22, 2014, during the Parliament Hill attack, Vickers was initially identified as the sole hero and credited with the fatal shooting of Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, but once the independent OPP report was released on June 1, 2015, it was revealed that the suspect was shot several times by both Vickers and RCMP Constable Curtis Barrett. Zehaf-Bibeau entered the Centre Block under the Peace Tower, shooting a Commons security guard in the leg, exchanging gunfire, before running down the Hall of Honour to an alcove by the entrance to the Library of Parliament, which is beside Vickers' office. Vickers pulled a 9mm handgun from a lock-box and entered the hall. He stood behind the pillar in an opposite position to Zehaf-Bibeau and shortly after Zehaf-Bibeau had pulled away from the pillar and shot at Barrett, Vickers threw himself on the ground and fired multiple shots at the gunman, effectively debilitating him. A niece told the Calgary Sun, "This is the first time in his career that he's shot anyone."

Ambassador to Ireland

Vickers officially started duties as the Canadian ambassador to Ireland on 21 January 2015, replacing Loyola Hearn.

On May 26, 2016, Vickers engaged a protester who was interrupting a ceremony commemorating British soldiers who were killed in the 1916 Easter Rising, dragging the man to one side before handing him over to Gardaí officers.

Honours

On October 22, 2014, members of the House of Commons protection services and the RCMP were instrumental in stopping an armed man who had stormed the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario. Constable Son was stationed at the front entrance when he spotted the man entering with a concealed rifle. The constable lunged to gain control of the firearm, but it discharged and struck him in the leg. Drawn to the Rotunda by the noise, Corporal Malo and Constable Thom took cover and exchanged several rounds with the gunman after he entered the building. Constable Létourneau tracked the gunman down the Hall of Honour toward the Library of Parliament and fired at him several times. RCMP Sergeant Rozon, Corporal Daigle and constables Barrett, Bergeron, Bubelis, Célestin, Fraser, Marcoux, Palmer, Ruest and Waye, who had assembled outside the Peace Tower, entered the Centre Block. Supported by their colleagues, Sergeant Rozon, Corporal Daigle and constables Barrett and Fraser assumed a tactical formation (IARD) as they charged down the Hall of Honour. With the shooter now cornered in an alcove leading to the Library, Sergeant-at-Arms Vickers, after being advised of the shooter’s location, dove to the floor in front of him and fired his weapon. RCMP Constable Barrett walked directly toward the gunman while also firing his weapon. The collective actions of these 16 individuals brought the incident to an end in less than three minutes, and avoided further tragedy.

Vickers has also been recognized by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration for his "Outstanding Contribution to Drug Enforcement".

Unofficial honours

Vickers received an extended standing ovation in the House of Commons for his role in ending the 2014 shootings at Parliament Hill, Ottawa.

Comedian Stephen Colbert had high praise for Vickers, comparing his actions to those of Bruce Willis in the movie Die Hard and also praising his stoic reaction to the standing ovation in Parliament.

French President François Hollande said in an address to the Canadian Parliament, "I salute the courage of Kevin Vickers, who is known all across the world."

"The International Conference on Homeland Security in Tel Aviv in November 2014 opened with calling Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers to the stage to acknowledge him for his courage." During the same trip, Vickers was recognized by the speaker of the Israeli Knesset and asked to rise in his seat in the gallery to be acknowledged by parliamentarians.