A Toronto police officer was shot on Thursday morning while responding to a call about a stolen e bike in the city's downtown, an attack that sent the officer to hospital but left them expected to survive. Police said a suspect was arrested at the scene and a firearm was recovered as investigators worked to piece together what happened.
According to police, officers had been tracking a stolen e bike and located a suspect at the intersection of Bloor Street and Sherbourne Street. It appeared that the suspect had abandoned the e bike on the west side of Sherbourne, and it was at that intersection that the confrontation unfolded and the officer was shot.
In the immediate aftermath, fellow officers rushed to help their wounded colleague. Police described how officers came to the aid of the injured officer, applying a tourniquet to try to stop the bleeding at the scene before the officer could be taken away for medical care.
The officer was rushed to St. Michael's Hospital, where staff treated the injuries. Speaking from the hospital, a senior officer said the wounded member had been shot while simply trying to do their job, and thanked St. Michael's Hospital for the care provided to the officer over the course of the day.
Police confirmed that a suspect was taken into custody in connection with the shooting. The suspect in custody is 27 years old, and a firearm was recovered at the scene, though police did not immediately release further details about the person arrested or the circumstances that led to the gunfire.
The shooting closed off part of the downtown core as the investigation got underway. Bloor Street between Sherbourne Street and Parliament Street remained closed while officers processed the scene, gathering evidence at the intersection where the officer was shot.
At a briefing, police leadership praised the officers who responded and pledged support for the wounded officer and their family through the recovery. They said the force's members would continue their work of keeping the city safe, expressing pride in the colleagues who came to the aid of the officer during the emergency.