31-year-old man sentenced to 9 more years after officer-involved shooting in Markham: police

A York Regional Police patch is shown in Aurora, Ont. on Dec. 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to nine more years in prison following a police-involved shooting in Markham last July.

The shooting happened on the evening of July 17, 2025, in the area of Kennedy Road and Steeles Avenue East.

York Regional Police said they tried to stop the driver of a stolen vehicle who was attempting to evade them and, instead, collided into police cruisers.

Police boxed the driver in, in the area of Kennedy Road and Bonis Avenue in Toronto, which investigators say prompted the man to shoot at police.

“One officer discharged their firearm, striking the suspect,” Thursday’s news release reads.

The driver was arrested and transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Last Friday, March 27, Kuot Akol was found guilty of six offences, including aggravated assault of a peace officer, possession of a restricted firearm, and failure to comply with release order.

Police said Akol had committed a number of firearms-related offences in Toronto between 2022 and 2023, and was released on bail with GPS monitoring.

Days before Akol was scheduled to appear in court for those offences, in February 2025, York police said he removed his GPS ankle monitoring device. An arrest warrant was issued and on Feb. 27 that year, Akol was convicted and sentenced in absentia by the Ontario Court of Justice.

Akol received an eight-year sentence then.

YRP said Akol has been sentenced to nine more years in connection with the police-involved shooting in Markham. They add that his time is to be served consecutively to his existing sentence in Toronto.

“This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers our officers face each and every day,” YRP Chief Jim MacSween said in Thursday’s release.

“Yet again we see a repeat offender carrying an illegal firearm. The risk to the public and officers is unacceptable.”