Constable Gordon Sinclair, PC#246

Appointed  1941, Fallen Dec 7th, 1955

Hailing from Brandon, Manitoba, VPD Constable Gordon Sinclair was a world-renowned highland bagpiper and member of the VPD Pipe Band. Well loved by the Vancouver Highland Arts community, Sinclair was also the president of the B.C. Pipers Association. 

On December 7th, 1955, after having dinner with his family, Constable Gordon Sinclair started a night car patrol shift in southwest Vancouver. While on duty, dispatch instructed him to go to 1500 W. 3rd Ave., to investigate two suspicious males prowling the lane. 

Constable Sinclair was first on the scene, and when the cover unit arrived a few minutes later, they found Sinclair dead with two gunshot wounds to the head. His body was halfway outside his car with the engine running and the door open indicating that Sinclair had been caught unaware. 

A car was seen speeding away matching that belonging to Joe Gordon, a known bank robber. Gordon was arrested but released due to lack of evidence. Two months later Donald Carey, in a deal to avoid the death penalty for another crime, gave evidence against Joe Gordon. Carey showed the investigators the location of the murder weapon hidden in a stump near W. 5th and First. He also made a full confession stating that he and Gordon had been “casing” a building to rob when Sinclair came upon them. As the constable opened his car door, Gordon pulled a gun and shot him twice in the head. 

Both men were found guilty of the murder of Constable Gordon Sinclair.  Joe Gordon was hung at Oakalla Prison on April 2nd, 1957 and Carey sentenced to life imprisonment and paroled on March 3rd, 1968.