Toronto police say the man accused of attempted murder in the shooting of one of its officers was out on bail at the time, and have charged him with breaching a probation order and breaching another order not to possess a firearm.
The shooting happened around 5 p.m. on Wednesday in midtown Toronto, around Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. Police said an officer approached two people at the time and one of them shot him before they both fled the area.
According to the Special Investigations Unit, an officer shot at the suspects as they fled the scene, but missed them.
Sources told Global News officers were investigating a stolen vehicle at the time. They added the officer was shot in the abdomen and was believed to be in stable condition in Sunnybrook Hospital on Wednesday night.
Toronto Police Association president Jon Reid said the 29-year-old officer who was shot remains in hospital in “good spirits” and is recovering from his injuries.
On Thursday afternoon, Toronto police announced three arrests in relation to the case. A 15-year-old was arrested, along with a woman in connection to the robbery and a third man was charged over the shooting of the police officer.
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Toronto police said they had charged 21-year-old Tibor Orgona for the alleged shooting of the officer. He faces charges including failing to comply with a probation order, attempted murder and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
The other two suspects face lesser charges related to the alleged robbery.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a post on social media he was “relieved” to hear the officer was recovering but frustrated the suspect had been granted bail.
“The guy accused in this shooting should never have been out on bail,” Ford wrote on X.
“Enough is enough. The federal government needs to do its job and fix our broken bail system so we can keep dangerous criminals behind bars and off our streets.”
The shooting led to rush-hour chaos in what is a bustling part of the city, with sirens blaring, a stretch of a major thoroughfare shut down and traffic gridlock.
Toronto police confirmed Wednesday night an officer fired their weapon. The SIU, which investigates the conduct of officials, was called in.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow wrote Wednesday she was wishing the officer a ‘full and quick recovery.”
“Frontline officers put themselves in harm’s way everyday,” she wrote in part.
“And every officer deserves to go home safe.”
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation, including video or photos, to contact them.
— with files from Sean Boynton
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