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Police shoot, kill suspect after woman stabbed at Scarborough home

Toronto police were at the scene of a stabbing at a home near Midland Avenue and Kingston Road on Saturday afternoon. (Robert Krbavac/CBC - image credit)
Toronto police were at the scene of a stabbing at a home near Midland Avenue and Kingston Road on Saturday afternoon. (Robert Krbavac/CBC - image credit)

On Saturday afternoon, Susan Langridge's mother wasn't doing too well so she called 911 to take her to the hospital.

It was around 2:30 p.m. The paramedics had only just arrived. They were walking downstairs with her, when Langridge said, "all of a sudden we heard a scream that somebody had been stabbed in the head."

Langridge, who lives in a kid-filled neighbourhood near Midland Avenue and Kingston Road in Scarborough, said she raced outside.

There, she said, a woman who lived only a few houses from her was sitting in a lawn chair "covered in blood."

While paramedics attended to her, Langridge said she went to console the woman's 12-year-old son, who was just standing there as paramedics helped his mother.

"I held him tight and took him away from the scene as best I could," Langridge told CBC Toronto. "I gave him a big hug."

Mark Bochsler/CBC
Mark Bochsler/CBC

The woman was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to police, where she is in stable condition.

It was scary, Langridge said, and it got "even scarier when the police came with the guns." They went into the woman's house, where the suspect remained, along with the woman's 4-year-old son.

"We heard, it sounded like five gunshots," Langridge said.

At a press conference outside the home, Toronto police chief James Ramer said the male suspect was shot by police. He died in hospital. Ramer said he did not know how many shots officers fired.

"We were advised a suspect was in the house with a child," Ramer said. "Officers had an interaction with the suspect and he was shot."

Police say the younger child in the home was unharmed. Langridge said both children were safe and "with child services."

CBC
CBC

Man had taken hold of child: SIU

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has invoked its mandate and is investigating the fatal shooting of the suspect.

"The SIU is going to investigate the incident, the interaction between the individual and police and at the same time we will investigate the original incident, the stabbing," Ramer said.

Ramer called the incident "tragic" and said police will provide assistance to the family.

In a statement, the SIU said the suspect was 42 years old. "The man, believed to be involved in injuring the woman and who had the knife, took hold of a young child and entered a residence," the statement said.

Three officers shot the man, the SIU said. He was taken to hospital where he died at 3:24 p.m.

SIU has assigned six investigators, including three forensic investigators, to the case. They will speak to the three officers in question as well as four witness officers.

A post-mortem exam is scheduled for Sunday.

Robert Krbavac/CBC
Robert Krbavac/CBC

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police officers that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person.