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The Special Investigations Unit has cleared a Toronto Police officer of any wrongdoing during an exchange of gunfire in June that left Const. Marc Pinizzotto dead in the line of duty and the suspect seriously injured.
The province’s police watchdog said Friday there are no reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence was committed when an officer shot and seriously injured 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett inside an apartment unit on Martha Eaton Way near Trethewey and Black Creek Drs. on the morning of June 11.
The SUI said Bennett opened fire towards the officers and struck Pinizzotto, which left members of the Emergency Task Force “with no alternative” but to defend themselves by firing back.
“There can be no doubt that the officers believed their lives to be in danger and that they acted to protect themselves from grievous bodily harm and death,” SIU Director Joseph Martino said in a statement .
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said, while the investigation has come to a close, it has not diminished the sense of the “profound loss” the force is feeling.
“On that day, we lost Constable Marc Pinizzotto, a dedicated member of our Emergency Task Force, a respected colleague, and a friend,” Demkiw said in a statement shared to social media . “Marc gave his life in service to others, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten.
“The members of our Emergency Task Force are among the most highly trained and skilled officers in the country, and they routinely face dangerous and dynamic situations with professionalism, courage, and exceptional expertise. In the months since losing their colleague and friend, they have demonstrated tremendous resilience while continuing to serve the people of Toronto with dedication.”
The SIU also provided Martino’s full report about the events that day during the execution of a search warrant for a firearms investigation.
More to follow.