Man seriously injured after police shooting in northwest Toronto
A man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after a police shooting in Toronto Monday morning.
According to a Special Investigations Unit (SIU) news release, Toronto police officers were first called to a park in the area of Black Creek Drive and Trethewey Drive around 8 a.m.
The SIU initially said a man was brandishing a knife and threatening another man who was walking a dog, but spokesperson Kristy Denette later clarified that it was actually the man who was walking the dog who was carrying a knife, who then had some sort of "interaction" with another man.
The SIU says officers arrived and found the 31-year-old man in the park. There was then an "interaction" between the man and the officers, the news release reads, though the SIU did not offer any specifics. Denette said exactly what happened is currently under investigation, but she did say there was some sort of "short foot pursuit" from the park to a nearby intersection.
Two officers discharged their Tasers, the news release reads, and another officer shot the man.
"There were a number of [Tasers] that were discharged at this man, and shots were fired," Denette said. "The man was struck, and the officers involved, they rendered first aid to the man.
"He is in hospital undergoing surgery, he has serious injuries."
Denette couldn't say how many times the man was shot, or if he was actually hit by either Taser. Factors like thick winter clothing can interfere with the probes used in a Taser, which can limit the weapon's effectiveness.
No other injuries were reported, and Denette said she believes some body-worn camera footage will be available to investigators. A knife was recovered at the scene, the SIU says.
Toronto police Insp. Suzanne Redman also spoke to reporters about the incident Monday morning but provided few details, citing the ongoing SIU investigation.
"An officer discharged their firearm. A male party was taken to hospital with serious injuries," she said. "The SIU has invoked their mandate. By law, I cannot comment any further."
Reporters asked other questions about what happened before the man was injured, but Redman would not provide any other details.
"Everything I can say, I have said," she said. Redman also asked any witnesses to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
The SIU investigates the conduct of law enforcement officials where death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person occurred.
The unit says four investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case. It is asking anyone who might have information about what happened to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online via the agency's website.
Road closures are in effect in the area. Police say southbound Black Creek Drive traffic is being diverted westbound onto Trethewey Drive, eastbound Trethewey Drive is closed between Todd Baylis Boulevard and Black Creek Drive, and Northbound Black Creek Drive is closed from Eglinton Avenue West to Trethewey Drive.
