A funeral is being held today for Const. Marc Pinizzotto, the 43-year-old Emergency Task Force (ETF) member who was killed in the line of duty earlier this month.
Thousands of fellow Toronto police officers, emergency services personnel, dignitaries, and members of Pinizzotto’s family are expected to attend the 1 p.m. service at the Toronto Congress Centre in Etobicoke.
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Pinizzotto, an 18-year veteran of the Toronto police Service, was shot in North York on June 11 while executing search warrants, including one connected to the shooting at the U.S. consulate in March.
A suspect, identified by police as 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett, was shot in an exchange of gunfire and remains in hospital. He’s been charged with first-degree murder.
Pinizzotto’s death marks the first time in the ETF’s 64-year history that one of its members has been killed in the line of duty.
The ceremony is closed to the public, but CTV News and CP24 will be broadcasting live footage of the service and funeral procession as it happens.
Follow along here for live updates:
11:45 a.m. - Premier Ford requests ‘urgent discussion’ on recent violence against police officers
Ontario Premier Doug Ford shared a letter he sent to the head of the Federation of Canada’s Premiers about what he called a “horrifying increase” in the number of police officers killed or wounded in the line of duty.
“These tragedies underscore the need for a serious national conversation about public safety, support for law enforcement and the growing risks faced by those who put themsevles in harm’s way every day,” he wrote in a letter to Prince Edward Island Premier and Federation Chair Rob Lantz.
Pinizzotto is the third police officer killed in Ontario in the line of duty in recent months. Two days before Pinizzotto was killed, OPP Const. Tarun Bali was killed in Hearst, Ont.
Another OPP officer, Const. Brandon Malcolm, was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Cobourg, Ont., in April.
On Monday, Montreal police officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, was shot dead while responding to a 911 call about a shooter at a hotel.
11:30 a.m. - Funeral procession arrives in Etobicoke
The hearse carrying Pinizzotto’s body has arrived in Etobicoke ahead of this afternoon’s funeral service.
The thousands of officers in attendance observed a moment of silence as the procession passed by.
11 a.m. - Funeral speaker list released
A number of speakers will deliver remarks at Pinizzotto’s funeral, including Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, and his children, Daniela and Domenic.
Pinizzotto’s Mother, Linda, and brothers, Jay and Steve, are also set to speak.
Sgt. Ken LeFort, a member of ETF Team 2 of which Pinizzotto was a part of, will deliver the eulogy.
10:45 a.m. - Thousands of officers marching to funeral
Thousands of police officers are now marching towards the funeral space.
The officers, from the Toronto Police Service and other forces across the Greater Toronto Area, began marching from a nearby muster point towards the funeral site at 10:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m. - Pinizzotto’s children to speak at funeral
CP24 has confirmed that Pinizzotto’s 14-year-old twin children, Daniella and Domenic, will speak at Wednesday’s service.
10 a.m. - Funeral procession underway
The hearse carrying Pinizzotto’s body has departed a funeral home in Thornhill and is now headed for Etobicoke.
The procession is scheduled to travel north on Yonge Street, before heading west on Highway 407, southbound on Highway 27, eastbound on Rexdale Boulevard and southbound on Martin Grove Road.
Road closures are in effect.
Members of the public can view the procession from the Highway 407 overpasses listed below.
9:45 a.m. – Thousands of officers to march
Toronto police said thousands of officers will march from the nearby CWENCH Centre at 1120 Martin Grove Road to the funeral site at 10:30 a.m.
Police said members will be positioned in the northbound lanes of Martin Grove to salute the funeral cortege as it passes.
9:30 a.m. - Toronto police thanks public for its support
In a tweet published Wednesday morning, the Toronto Police Service thanked the public for its support and condolences following Pinizzotto’s death.
9 a.m. – Public can view procession from these overpasses
While Wednesday’s funeral service is closed to the public, police say that individuals can view the procession on several Highway 407 overpasses, including:
- Bathurst Street
- Dufferin Street
- Keele Street
- Jane Street
- Weston Road
- Pine Valley Drive
- Islington Avenue
8:30 a.m. - Pinizzotto family shares photos with CP24
The Pinizzotto family provided CP24 with photos of Marc with his wife Andrea and their 14-year-old twin children, Daniella and Domenic.
Speaking exclusively to CP24, Insp. Peter Morris, the acting superintendent of the ETF, said Pinizzotto’s family are now an extension of the TPS family.
“Whatever we can do to support them, not only the guys on that team, but our unit as a whole, we will be there for them,” he said.
With files from CP24’s Beatrice Vaisman
8 a.m. – Road closures in effect for funeral procession
A number of road closures are now in effect ahead of the funeral procession’s departure from a funeral home in Thornhill.
The hearse carrying Pinizzotto’s body is scheduled to travel north on Yonge Street, before heading west on Highway 407, southbound on Highway 27, eastbound on Rexdale Boulevard and southbound on Martin Grove Road. The funeral will take place at the Toronto Congress Centre.
Martin Grove Road is closed from Dixon to Belfield roads and from Belfield Road to Bethridge Boulevard. Belfield Road is fully closed and limited or screened access from Highway 27 to Martin Grove and Kipling Avenue to Martin Grove is now in effect.
Highway 409’s east and west ramps to Martin Grove are closed, as is the Highway 401 westbound ramp to Martin Grove.
“Traffic control measures will be in effect to facilitate traffic flow in the area. We ask for your patience while you navigate around the closures,” police said in a news release.
The closures are expected to lift at 1 p.m. once the funeral gets underway.
