Police investigating after Toronto officer stabbed and suspect shot dead

TORONTO – An Ontario police supervisor is investigating after a Toronto police officer was stabbed and a suspect was shot to death on the city's west side.

Toronto police said Friday that both the officer and the suspect were in stable condition in hospital.

A spokesman for the Special Investigations Unit said officers responded to a call about a man in crisis when an altercation broke out near the Tim Hortons at College Street and Lansdowne Avenue.

The SIU investigates cases involving the serious injury or death of a police officer.

Toronto Police Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue told reporters that one of the officers who tried to arrest the man was stabbed in the leg. The officer then drew their firearms, he said.

John Reid, president of the Toronto Police Association, said the injured officer is in his 20s and is new to the force. He said the officer was being supported by the union and his colleagues and that he was in good spirits.

The deputy chief said this is the fourth Toronto police officer injured on duty in the past two weeks, which “reflects the risks our officers face every day while serving the community.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow took to the X page, formerly known as Twitter, to call the latest incident “disturbing” and wished the injured officer a speedy recovery.

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 12, 2024.

Canadian Press