Man dead after being shot ‘multiple times’ by Toronto police, SIU investigating

CP24's Steve Ryan provides an update live outside Danforth GO station.

A man is dead after he was shot by police “multiple times” early Saturday morning at the Danforth GO station.

Police were called to the area of Main Street and Stephenson Avenue at around 1:08 a.m. after reports of a person with a gun.

Monica Hudon, the spokesperson for the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), told reporters that preliminary information indicates that when officers arrived at the station, they located a person of interest in the stairwell leading up to Platform 3.

“There was an interaction, and one officer discharged his firearm at the man multiple times. The man was struck multiple times,” Hudon said.

The man was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after.

Hudon said a postmortem will be conducted on Sunday morning. She noted that the SIU has not yet identified the man.

When asked if the man was armed and whether he pointed a gun at police during the interaction, Hudon said it’s too early in the investigation to determine what exactly occurred.

“Understanding what transpired and what actions did happen and didn’t happen on the part of the police and the individual is also part of the SIU’s investigation,” she said.

What investigators found so far

The SIU, which has invoked its mandate, said “at this time, we have three investigators and two forensic investigators assigned to the case, one subject official and four witness officials have been designated.”

Investigators also said: “Our understanding is that there is CCTV footage that shows what happened, as well as Toronto Police body-worn camera footage, which we will also be collecting.”

Officials added that “in addition collecting a police firearm from the scene, our investigators also collected another firearm from the scene believed to have belonged to the individual.”

The SIU is called in when the actions of police resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.

‘We will continue to support our members,’ says police association

In a statement, the Toronto Police Association said: “Last night, President Clayton Campbell and Director Ron Tait attended the scene of this incident to support our members.”

“No police officer starts their shift wanting or intending to use force. But when the public calls, they respond to dangerous, unpredictable situations and make split-second decisions in order to keep everyone safe, including themselves. As the SIU investigates, we will continue to support our members throughout this process.”

Lakeshore East trains were bypassing the station for most of the day. Regular service at Danforth GO resumed around 4 p.m.