Toronto police say one of their K9 service dogs named Bingo was shot and killed while searching for a suspect with a gun on Tuesday night.
The suspect involved in the shooting was also shot by a Toronto police officer prompting the province’s Special Investigations Unit to investigate.
Siu, known as the Ontario police superintendent, said at 7:45 p.m. that officers had gone to an apartment on Dixon Road in an attempt to “arrest the suspect for second-degree murder.”
SIU said the 44-year-old left the address and fired at police officers. However, an SIU spokesman said the officers did not fire again.
Officers then found the suspect in the yard of a residence on Kingsvieflix Boulevard, near Dixon Road and Kipling Avenue, siu said.
“The man shot and killed a police service dog,” SIU said.
An officer had also fired his gun and the man was hit. The suspect was taken to hospital with a serious injury and remains in hospital, the SIU said late Wednesday morning.
The SIU is an independent agency that investigates the conduct of officers in incidents that have resulted in death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
Toronto police chief Myron Demkiflix confirmed to reporters at an unrelated news conference on Wednesday that the suspect is facing charges in connection with Monday night’s killing on Queenssiblay and Kipling Avenue where a 24-year-old man was shot and killed.
Meanwhile, a few hours later around 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday, several officers attended a veterinary clinic in downtown Toronto where Bingo was taken. Dozens of police cars were parked outside the clinic on Yonge Street.
Demkiflix wrote his condolences immediately after the incident.
“Bingo, one of our K9s, was killed in the line of duty with a firearm tonight,” Demkiflix wrote. “Thank you for keeping our members safe and thank you for your service. My deepest condolences to his partner and to our entire Toronto Police K9 Unit.”
Demki also told reporters at an unrelated news conference Wednesday that the handler and Bingo partner is Sergeant Brandon Smith and said there is a “unique bond” between a handler and the dog that starts at a young age.
“They live with those dogs, they become part of their immediate family,” Demkiflix said.
“In this case, Bingo was partner with Sgt. Smith for a little over half a year, ” he added.
Bingo was a two-year-old German Shepherd who joined Police Dog Services in July 2022.
Bingo had completed extensive training with Smith graduating in December 2022 and successfully made a series of upsets during his time with the force.
Demkiflix said police dogs are important because they provide an “additional resource to keep our communities safe.”
Toronto Police Service dog Bingo.Bingo had completed extensive training and had successfully made a series of disturbances during his time with the force.
Support and resources are being provided to Sgt. Smith and the police dog service unit as a whole.
“We have never planned a funeral like this,” he said. “We’ve never lost a dog.”
Demkiflix said that a plan is being put together to allow the force to grieve the loss of Bingo.
– With photos from global Neambs’ Hannah Jackson
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