A man is dead and the province’s police watchdog is investigating after an officer-involved shooting in Toronto on Monday afternoon.
Toronto police said they were called to the area of Ellesmere Road and Warden Avenue just after 3 p.m., with the call initially logged as “unknown trouble.”
On Monday evening, Ontario’s police watchdog said it had invoked its mandate to investigate the shooting.
A spokesperson for the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said a Toronto police officer had fired their gun, with the bullet hitting a man.
The man was taken to hospital from the scene, where he was pronounced dead.
Toronto paramedics told Global News they had also attended the scene, where a shooting had been reported. Medics took a patient to a local trauma centre in serious condition. He later died in hospital.
The SIU said police had received calls about a man threatening drivers on a road in the area.
After the calls came in, the man made his way into a building located at 520 Ellesmere Rd., the SIU said. There was an interaction and the officer allegedly fired his gun before another used their Taser.
The SIU said a hammer was found at the scene but is not yet sure what role it played in the incident.
Police said a portion of Warden Avenue was closed after the incident.