Wife of officer injured in Belleville synagogue shooting shares emotional tribute

The wife of the officer shot while defending a synagogue in Belleville has shared an emotional tribute to him on Facebook.

Const. Jeff Smith was injured after a man armed with a shotgun allegedly opened fire near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on the evening of Yom Kippur.

The suspected shooter was also injured in an exchange of fire.

Ashley Smith, the wife of Const. Jeff Smith, posted a heartfelt message on her Facebook page Tuesday night with a picture holding her husband’s hand in hospital.

A portion of the message reads, “Thank you to this good and kind world that has surrounded Jeff and our family with more love, compassion, generosity and selflessness than I could ever put into words. I cannot begin to express what the outpouring of love and support has meant to us.”

Later in the post Ashley says, “Jeff has a very long, difficult road ahead of him.”

Following the shooting on Sept. 20, the Special Investigations Unit confirmed that Smith sustained serious injuries, adding that he remains in hospital in stable condition.

The suspected shooter, 29-year-old Sean Ward, was injured in the shooting but died of his injuries Tuesday.

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