Thousands of people gathered Wednesday for the funeral of Const. Marc Pinizzotto, the 43-year-old Toronto Emergency Task Force (ETF) member who was killed in the line of duty earlier this month.
Police officers from in and around the Greater Toronto Area, emergency services personnel, dignitaries, and members of Pinizzotto’s family are all in attendance for the 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. He later died in hospital.
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 as it happens.
Follow along here for live updates:
1:50 p.m. - Premier Ford, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Hoekstra in attendance
Dignitaries in attendance include Ontario Premier Doug Ford, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, Ontario Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.
1:45 p.m. - ‘Marc is a hero’: Pinizzotto’s mother
Pinizzotto’s mother, Linda, spoke at Wednesday’s service and said that he will be remembered for “his kindness, his loyalty, and genuine concern for others” that she said touched “countless lives.”
“Marc is a hero. He stepped into policing with passion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to serving his community,” she said.
“He devoted himself to his training, perfecting his skills, using special abilities to make a difference in this world, understanding the reality that it can be harsh and unforgiving. For Marc, policing was not simply a career, it was a calling, it was his legacy.”
1:35 p.m. - Toronto police saw largest deployment of officers day after Pinizzotto’s death for FIFA World Cup
In delivering his remarks, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw pointed out that the day after Pinizzotto died, the TPS saw its largest-ever deployment of officer personnel to mark the start of the FIFA World Cup in Toronto, which he said speaks to the commitment of Toronto’s officers.
“Policing is one of the few professions that cannot press pause, even when our world seemingly stops, you all continue to show up, including the ETF, who literally continued to serve in the hours following Marc’s death, despite the sorrow, the grief, the anger you all still reported for duty and continued to serve to our Toronto police officers.”
1:30 p.m. - ‘Marc represented excellence’: police chief
Demkiw began his remarks by underscoring Pinizzotto’s skill and what it meant to be a member of the Emergency Task Force.
“Marc represented excellence. The ETF is among the most highly trained and highly capable elite police units in the world. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, they answer the most dangerous calls and undertake the most complex operations, they protect the public, and they protect our members. It is an extraordinary responsibility,” he said.
Created in 1965, the Emergency Task Force is a highly specialized 24/7 support unit within the Toronto Police Service, tasked with responding to high-risk emergency situations, search warrant execution, armed/barricaded persons and acts of terrorism.
Pinizzotto was selected to join the ETF in 2016, and served on Gun Team 1.
He transferred to the Toronto Police College Armament Section in 2020 where he supported specialized training for members across the Service, according to TPS. He returned to operational duties with the ETF in 2023, on Gun Team 2.
1:25 p.m. - Pinizzotto remembered by his nickname, ‘Pinner’
Master of ceremonies, Supt. Greg Watts, revealed that Pinizzotto was known lovingly by his nickname: “Pinner,” and explained that he would refer to him as such throughout the ceremony.
“‘Pinner’ is the man who was loved by all, the man his friends laughed with, the man his brothers in the ETF stood beside, and I think that matters,” Watts said.
1:20 p.m. - Pinizzotto’s family acknowledged
Pinizzoto’s family was acknowledged as the funeral got underway.
His wife, Andrea, his twin, 14-year-old children, Daniella and Domenic, his mother, Linda, his father, Leo, his brothers Steve, Jay and their families, and his brother-in-law Aaron and his family are all in attendance.
“Thank you for allowing us to stand beside you today. There are no words that can take away your pain, but I really hope that there is some comfort in seeing just how many people are here, because Mark meant so much to so many,” Watts said in his opening remarks.
1:10 p.m. - Pinizzotto’s casket arrives
Pinizzotto’s casket, draped in a Canadian flag, is carried in by the Chief’s Ceremonial Unit as bagpipes sound.
11:45 a.m. - Ford requests ‘urgent discussion’ on recent violence against police officers
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.
