The Special Investigations Unit is probing the circumstances around a police-involved shooting in Scarborough that left one man dead and an officer injured.
Speaking to reporters at the scene on Thursday, SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon said Toronto police were initially called to the area of Hymus Road and Warden Avenue for a report of an armed man inside a pub.
Hudon confirmed that an off-duty officer was inside the bar at the time when he spotted a man with a weapon and called police.
When officers arrived on scene, Hudon said police found the man in a vehicle in a parking lot outside the bar.
It is not clear exactly what transpired immediately after officers arrived but Hudon said at one point, gunfire was exchanged between the man inside the vehicle and the three responding officers.
The man in the vehicle was struck multiple times and was rushed to a trauma centre, where he later died.
Hudon would not confirm how many shots the man or the officers fired in the exchange.
The identity of the deceased has not been released but the SIU said he is a 36-year-old resident of Scarborough.
One of the officers involved in the shootout was also struck by gunfire but was protected by the bullet-proof vest he was wearing.
He was taken to hospital for treatment but has since been released.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work that the officers that attended, what they did. I am also grateful that our officers were well-equipped,” Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters Thursday.
“I think in today’s environment we can’t take for granted the importance of the equipment that is provided.”
Saunders said wearing body armour was not always a requirement for officers.
“I know when I got on the job… the vest was optional and I remember people would be complaining because they are cumbersome and it is summer and it is hot,” he said.
“I’ve got to tell you, I think those days are gone now… I think in today’s environment things move very quick, access to firearms has increased, and so having the right tools in play and on you at the right time can lead to outcomes that are beneficial to us as law enforcement.”
Saunders said he could not comment on the details of the investigation due to the SIU’s involvement in the case but the police chief did confirm that the officer who was injured is expected to make a full recovery.
“I’m just glad that I’m here to say that our officer is OK,” he said.
The SIU said six investigators and three forensic investigators have been assigned to the case.
“The SIU has interviewed witnesses, civilian and police, but we are urging anyone else who has information to come forward to the SIU,” Hudon told reporters.
“We are also asking anyone who may have video evidence to pass that on to our investigators.”
The SIU is an arm’s length agency called in to investigate any interaction between a police officer and a member of the public that results in death, serious injury or an allegation of sexual assault.
