Funeral for slain Toronto officer Marc Pinizzotto set for June 24 in Etobicoke

Toronto police constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, will be laid to rest June 24 in Etobicoke. The 19-year-old suspect charged with first-degree murder remains in critical condition.

Funeral procession for Const. Pinizzotto to pass through Etobicoke on Wednesday

The funeral for Toronto police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, killed in the line of duty last week, will be held on Wednesday, June 24 at 1 p.m. in Etobicoke, cbc.ca reports. The procession will travel from Kane-Jerrett Funeral Home to the Toronto Congress Centre.

The public is not admitted to the funeral itself, which is restricted to the officer's close community, fellow police services and emergency service personnel. Members of the public are, however, welcome to observe the procession along the route, with further details to be announced.

Pinizzotto, 43, died on Thursday after being shot at a fourth-floor apartment in northwest Toronto. Officers had been executing a search warrant near Tretheway Drive and Black Creek Drive, around 5:40 a.m., as part of an investigation into multiple shootings — including several targeting Toronto-area synagogues and one at the U.S. Consulate in March. He had served 18 years on the force and is survived by his wife and two children.

Special Investigations Unit spokesperson Monica Hudon said an "exchange of gunfire" broke out during the warrant. The suspect, 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett of Toronto, was taken into custody and transported to hospital. Toronto police have indicated he will be charged with first-degree murder. As of Tuesday, the SIU confirmed Bennett remains in critical condition. The watchdog is investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and Pinizzotto's death.

In the hours following his death, hundreds of officers lined the streets, some visibly emotional, as a procession carried Pinizzotto's body from Sunnybrook Hospital to the office of the chief coroner. Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw, speaking tearfully, called him a "hero in life, not death."

On Sunday, hundreds of first responders gathered again along Toronto streets for a second procession in his honour. Tributes have come from Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Pinizzotto's mother, Linda, posted a tribute on social media the day after his death. "He was an incredible father, son, husband, coach and friend of many," she wrote, adding that the family was grateful for the public's response. "We are forever sincerely grateful for your heartfelt blessings, wonderful messages of condolence, and kindness. His passing echoes deep inside us, our loving family is shattered as we search for words."

At a news conference Tuesday, Chief Demkiw described the situation as "an incredibly difficult moment." He underlined the role of the emergency task force: "They respond to the most dangerous calls. They protect this city. They safeguard their fellow officers and they serve with exceptional courage." Demkiw also acknowledged the public support his officers have received. "That has given us all strength to work through the grief process that we're going through as a community," he said. "This was an incredibly dangerous set of events that unfolded that resulted in a tragic loss of life."

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)