A 21-year-old man is facing over a dozen charges, including attempted murder, after a Toronto police officer was shot outside a midtown apartment building on Wednesday night.
The incident happened while the officer, a 29-year-old who has been with the force for five years, was investigating a robbery near Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue.
Around 5:30 p.m., officers approached two individuals, and one of them allegedly shot the officer before fleeing the scene. One suspect was arrested at the site, while two others were taken into custody later that night.
The suspects have been identified as 21-year-old Tibor Orgona, 22-year-old Amanda O’Dette, and a 15-year-old boy whose name cannot be revealed due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act. All three face robbery charges, with Orgona facing additional charges related to the shooting.
In addition to attempted murder, Orgona is charged with several firearm-related offences, as well as breaches of probation and a firearm prohibition order.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw reported that the injured officer sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen but is expected to recover fully. “We are very, very relieved to say that he is doing well,” he told Newstalk 1010 on Thursday morning.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which looks into incidents involving police, released more details on Thursday. They stated that after the officer was shot, a second officer fired his weapon, but the suspect was not hit.
According to the SIU, none of the suspects sustained serious injuries. A nearby resident, who witnessed one of the arrests, shared her shock, saying, “This is historically a safe neighborhood, so it is very disturbing.”
