Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah speaks to the media at the scene of a shooting in Mississauga, Ont., on Sept. 12.Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press
Members of the Toronto Police Services Board, the police chief and the mayor are paying tribute to a fallen officer by holding a moment of silence for Const. Andrew Hong.
A previously scheduled meeting of the board began today with the top officials saying Hong paid the ultimate sacrifice in working to keep his community safe.
Toronto Police chief James Ramer says Hong – who was a 22-year veteran and a member of the traffic services division – was an outstanding member of the service and an outstanding individual.
Bill Blair, the federal minister of emergency preparedness and former Toronto police chief, says the loss of an officer under any circumstances is tragic, but this case is a particular tragedy because Hong appears to have been ambushed simply because he was a police officer.
Peel police are co-ordinating a multi-jurisdictional investigation into Hong’s death as well as one other person who was killed and three others injured in a series of shootings Monday afternoon across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
The chase for the suspect ended about two hours after the first of two reported shootings when Ontario’s police watchdog says officers shot the man, who had been tracked down in a Hamilton cemetery.
A Milton, Ont., man who was shot and killed at his auto shop is being remembered as a valuable member of his community, who was always “joyful.”
Halton Regional Police say Shakeel Ashraf, 38, was fatally shot Monday afternoon, along with two other people, who are in critical and serious conditions.
Police believe the same suspect was responsible for shooting and killing a Toronto police officer in Mississauga, Ont., and wounding another person not long before.
Omer Ahmed, who worked at Ashraf’s shop, MK Auto Repairs, says his former boss did a lot for the community and would help fix people’s cars, even if they couldn’t pay for the service.
He says Ashraf was always smiling, joyful and caring, and created a very family-oriented environment at his workplace.
A GoFundMe page set up – and since disabled – by a neighbouring business said Ashraf is survived by a wife and three young daughters.