A Toronto cop was badly injured in a stabbing out front of a downtown Tim Hortons on Friday afternoon – and the chaotic aftermath was captured on video that was posted on social media.
Toronto Police say the wounded officer and the suspected stabber, who was shot in the melee at College St. and Lansdowne Ave., were both rushed to hospital via an emergency run shortly after 1:30 p.m.
Sources told the Toronto Sun the injured officer – a rookie who has only been on the job a few months at 14 Division – was stabbed in the leg.
The cop, identified as Const. Manraj Mahal, was initially in and out of consciousness but the Toronto Police Association released a statement saying the officer’s injuries were not life-threatening.
Sources say the officer responded to a call at a home for a suicidal person. When that person was not at the home, the officer went to a nearby Tim Hortons and located the man.
In the process of trying to make an arrest under the Mental Health Act, the officer was stabbed – allegedly by the person he was trying to arrest.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the police-involved shooting and confirmed two officers were responding to a call for a “person in crisis” when they approached the man outside of the Tim Hortons.
“There was some type of struggle with two officers that were own scene,” SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette said at the scene. “And during the struggle a man produced a knife and stabbed an officer.”
She said it’s believed the injured officer then opened fire after two attempted by a second cop to deploy a conducted energy weapon were “ineffective.”
It was not immediately known how many rounds were fired.
The suspect, whose name has not been released, reportedly had no vital signs when he was rushed to hospital, but his condition was later upgraded to stable.
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Video of the aftermath posted on Instagram by @toronteffect showed both the suspect and the cop lying down on the pavement, which was soaked with blood, in front of the coffee shop while other officers came to their aid.
The suspect can be heard saying, “I have been shot,” as an officer handcuffs him.
A bloody knife can also be seen on the ground nearby.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow wished the injured officer “a quick recovery” in a brief message posted on X.
“Violence is never acceptable,” she wrote.
In 2022, another Toronto Police officer – Const. Andrew Hong, 48 – was shot to death at a Tim Hortons in Mississauga by Sean Petrie, a 40-year-old man who was later killed by police during a shootout in a Hamilton cemetery.
And Friday afternoon’s stabbing of a cop follows two other attacks on Toronto Police officers earlier this week.
One officer was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being assaulted in the area of Duncan St.-Queen St. W. while walking to a downtown police station around 11 p.m. on Monday night.
A witness intervened and Fabian Quiones Penaloza, 31, of no fixed address, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with assaulting a peace officer.
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And also on Monday night, a group of males was allegedly attempting to steal a vehicle near Yonge St. and Finch Ave. W. and responding officers located suspects nearby.
Cops said one suspect was arrested at the scene and one was arrested after a brief foot chase while the others fled the area.
During the arrests, police said an officer suffered a serious non-life-threatening injury.
Police said Oluwafemi Oladekoye, 19, of Woodbridge, was charged on Tuesday with attempted theft exceeding $5,000, have face masked/disguised, and aggravated assault of a peace officer.
Haydon Courtney, 19, of Toronto, was charged with attempt theft exceeding $5,000, and have face masked/disguised.
Toronto Police Association President Jon Reid admitted he was “angry and frustrated” as he spoke to reporters outside of St. Michael’s Hospital where Const. Mahal was being treated Friday afternoon.
“I’ve had enough with what’s going on in this city,” Reid said. “This is the third officer we’ve had injured now in three days.”
“We need the public and we need the leaders to come out and support the work that our men and woman are doing today. The violence has to stop. We need our justice system to pay attention. Things have to change here,” he added.
Reid said the stabbed officer, who is in his early 20s, is “well-liked by his colleagues.”
“I can tell just by speaking to the officer. He’s very passionate about this job,” he said. “And all things considered he’s in very good spirits.”
Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue, who spoke at the scene where her fellow officer was stabbed, said there have actually been four Toronto cops injured in incidents over the last two weeks.
She said such violence “really underscores the inherent risks our officers confront daily while serving the community.”
“I want to take a moment to acknowledge the bravery and dedication of our officers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep others in the community safe,” Pogue said. “Their commitment to duty and the public safety is commendable.”
Chief Myron Demkiw posted a message Friday on X saying he was “relieved to report that the (stabbed) officer is in stable condition.”
Meanwhile, the trial of Umar Zameer, accused of first-degree murder in the July 2, 2021, killing of Toronto Police Det.-Const. Jeffrey Northup in a parking garage at City Hall, continued this week.
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