Global News has learned the person who was shot by Toronto police officers during an “interaction” in the city’s east end on Saturday was wanted for first-degree murder in connection with the death of a woman at an apartment.
The police source, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the incident, said officers were attempting to execute an arrest warrant on the suspect just before he was shot. The exact circumstances leading up to the shooting weren’t clear as of Monday afternoon.
According to a statement from Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, officers were “observing a 37-year-old man who was a person of interest in an investigation” on Saturday at around 12:15 p.m.
“Shortly after noon, officers in several unmarked vehicles proceeded to conduct a takedown of a red pickup truck being operated by the man on McCowan Road, south of Town Centre Court,” the statement said.
“There was an interaction and multiple officers discharged their firearms. The man was struck multiple times.”
A Toronto Paramedics said the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The police source said the accused was wanted in connection with the death of 49-year-old Maryna Kudzianiuk.
Emergency crews were called to an apartment building on Bay Mills Boulevard, near Warden Avenue and Sheppard Avenue East, just after 3 a.m. on Jan. 13 with reports of a fire.
After firefighters extinguished the blaze, Kudzianiuk was found inside the unit with serious injuries. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The SIU investigates the conduct of responding officers involved in serious incidents.
A spokesperson for the SIU said Monday evening that they didn’t have an update on the agency’s investigation into the incident while referring questions about the suspect to Toronto police.
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