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Toronto police officer killed during morning raid investigation tied to American consulate shooting
A Toronto police officer was killed on Thursday morning during a raid on an apartment building tied to an investigation into the American consulate shooting.
“ It is with deep and profound sorrow that I must confirm the death of Police Constable Marc Pinizzotto, age 43, of our Emergency Task Force,” Toronto Police Service chief Myron Demkiw announced in a statement Thursday morning.
“ The investigation that led to the search warrant where Police Constable Marc Pinizzotto was tragically killed concerned a number of shootings, including the shooting at the United States consulate on University Avenue. There were several search warrants executed this morning,” Demkiw’s statement continued.
Chief Demkiw added in his statement that “one outstanding suspect, “Zara Jabbi, 19-years of age,” was not apprehended.
“I urge you to turn yourself in.”
Toronto police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer could not confirm whether the raid was also linked to what American prosecutors view as a related targeting of a Canadian synagogue shooting.
“ I don’t have that information,” Sayer told National Post on Thursday morning. “More to come on this, though.”
In early March, the American consulate in Toronto was shot at. RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather, overseeing the investigation, called the event “a national security incident,” though he cautioned it was “too early” to determine whether the perpetrators were connected to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
“I think it’s fairly obvious, based on the incidents that have occurred here in Toronto and elsewhere, that these consulates deserve a heightened amount of vigilance and security at this time,” Leather said at the time.
Pinizzotto’s death was mourned by the American Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra.
“Our thoughts, our prayers are with the family of the police person who was killed. They are with the police community, law enforcement community, in Toronto and Ontario,” he told attendees at a bilateral trade conference on Thursday.
Another member of law enforcement was injured and taken to the hospital, the Toronto Police Operations official X account wrote on Thursday morning.
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