The Special Investigations Unit in Ontario has determined that a Toronto police officer acted appropriately in a gunfire exchange that left a 19-year-old man critically injured after allegedly shooting Constable Marc Pinizzotto in June. SIU director Joseph Martino stated in a recent report that there is no justification for charging the officer who fired multiple shots at the suspect during an Emergency Task Force (ETF) operation in North York on June 11. The incident unfolded when officers entered an apartment near Black Creek and Tretheway drives.
According to the SIU, the man fired his pistol at the officers, hitting Pinizzotto, prompting officers to return fire. Martino emphasized that the officers believed their lives were at risk and acted in self-defense to prevent serious harm or death. He explained that due to the urgency of the situation, using anything other than a firearm would have increased the risk to the officers.
The man sustained gunshot wounds to various parts of his body but survived after being rushed to the hospital. Sadly, Pinizzotto succumbed to his injuries at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Nicholas Bennett from Toronto has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the incident.
The report details the events leading up to the gunfire, indicating that the ETF had planned to secure the apartment before the Integrated Guns and Gangs Task Force executed a search warrant as part of a firearms investigation. Prior to the operation, the man was spotted with a firearm.
Upon entering the apartment forcibly, a confrontation ensued where the man fired at Pinizzotto, who then discharged his weapon before collapsing. Another officer behind Pinizzotto fired multiple shots at the suspect following the initial exchange.
Pinizzotto, a veteran Toronto police officer with 18 years of service and a member of the ETF for five years, was hailed as a hero by Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw. The SIU investigates incidents involving police and civilians resulting in severe injury, death, or allegations of misconduct.