Ottawa: New details have emerged about the fatal shooting of a Canadian police officer in Toronto, the largest city in the country, local media reported.
A gunman killed Toronto Police Service Constable Andrew Hong and another person before being shot dead by police on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.
According to the media reports, Hong, age 48 and a 22-year police veteran, was sitting at a table eating his lunch inside a Tim Hortons after participating in a training exercise with several other motorcycle officers.
The suspect approached and shot him at close range.
The reports said it is believed that the suspect tried to retrieve Hong’s service pistol from its holster following the shooting but was unable to do so due to a safety lock.
The suspect ultimately fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, eventually showing up at an auto body shop where a second shooting took place, the reports said.
The daylight shootings also left three others injured, police said on Monday.
A second person, shot at the same scene where the officer died, suffered life-altering injuries and is being treated in hospital, the police said, alleging the same suspect that shot the officer was involved in another shooting that left a person dead and two others injured.
The suspect was later pronounced dead after the police said he was located in police custody.
The police are still investigating what led to the shootings.
Toronto Police Chief James Ramer said in a statement on Monday that the details of Hong’s murder were the subject of a Peel Regional Police investigation, vowing to determine what exactly happened to their officer.
Jon Reid, the president of the Toronto Police Association (TPA), said on Tuesday that Hong’s death is a reminder of the danger officers face each day and some make “the ultimate sacrifice”.
“Losing a member in the line of duty has rippling effects across our membership and across the broader policing community in our city,” Reid said.
“The TPA will work with the service to provide whatever support Andrew’s family and friends, colleagues require during this process.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the shootings “senseless” on Monday.
“Like all Ontarians, I’m horrified by today’s senseless violence, including the killing of a Toronto police officer,” Ford said on Twitter.
“I’m so grateful to law enforcement for bringing this situation to an end. May justice for those killed and injured be swift.”
Toronto Mayor John Tory released a statement, calling it a sad reminder “of the danger our officers face on a daily basis as they work to keep us all safe”.
“All flags will remain at half-mast at Toronto City Hall, Civic Centres, Metro Hall and various City of Toronto locations, in memory of Toronto Police Constable Andrew Hong, said Tory on Twitter.
On Monday night, hundreds of officers gathered outside the Mississauga plaza near Argentia Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard where Hong was shot and killed for a Traffic Services-led procession that accompanied his body to the Coroner’s Office.
–IANS
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