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Officer who shot stopped car in Distillery District was 'brave,' says lawyer

'Unauthorized and unsafe': Toronto police officer docked 7 days pay in Distillery District shooting

At a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, the lawyer representing Const. Tash Baiati, the Toronto police officer who fired 15 shots into a stopped car during an arrest in the Distillery District, argued that his client's actions were "brave" and that he was making a conscious decision to disable the vehicle.

Baiati pleaded guilty to misconduct before a police tribunal for the September 2015 incident, when police officers staged a takedown of a car near Parliament and Mill streets, close to a busy park.

After a brief pursuit, the car was boxed in by police officers. At that point, Baiati shot 15 rounds from his 9 mm pistol into the car's engine. The driver of the car was not hit but was subsequently arrested and charged with several offences.

Baiati's lawyer Peter Thorning argued that the driver had used his car as a weapon, and even lurched the car forward as it was being hit with Baiati's shots.

He said that members of the public were endangered by the car and its driver, concluding that Baiati should be given the most lenient sentence — a reprimand for the incident.

He also read letters in defence of Baiati's character.

Acting Inspector Shane Branton countered with the argument that Baiati behaved in a way that put people's lives in danger.

The police tribunal said they will release the decision about Baiati's punishment electronically in the future, possibly as long as four months from now.

His punishment could range from a reprimand to an outright dismissal.

Officers trained not to fire pistols into cars

Baiati has been allowed to remain on duty following the incident.

He was charged under the Police Services Act in late January 2016, and pleaded guilty in September of that year.

Baiati served in Afghanistan as a reserve member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Department of National Defence says Baiati was still a reservist as of December 2015. It's believed he joined the Toronto Police Service sometime after 2009.

Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association, told CBC Toronto in January 2016 that officers are trained not to fire pistols at cars because bullets can ricochet, but that an officer can discharge his or her weapon when he or she "has a fear of grievous bodily harm or death."