TORONTO — Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after a Toronto police officer was stabbed and the suspect was shot in the city’s west end.
Toronto police said both the officer and suspect were in stable condition in hospital Friday.
A spokesperson for the Special Investigations Unit said police officers were responding to a call about a person in crisis when the altercation occurred outside a Tim Hortons in the College Street and Lansdowne Avenue area.
The SIU investigates cases in which a police officer has been involved in a serious injury or death.
Toronto police Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue told reporters that one of the officers was stabbed in the leg while trying to apprehend a man. An officer then discharged their firearm, she said.
Toronto Police Association president Jon Reid said the injured officer is in his early 20s and new to the police force. He said the officer was being supported by the union and his colleagues, and is in good spirits.
The deputy chief said this was the fourth Toronto police officer injured on duty in the past two weeks, “which really underscores the inherent risks our officers confront daily while serving the community.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called the latest incident “troubling” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, and wished the injured officer a quick recovery.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2024.
