Officer Killed in Consulate Raid
Toronto Police Officer Marc Pinizzotto Killed During Raid Linked to U.S. Consulate Attack
Key Points
Police said witnesses to the March 10 consulate attack reported two people emerging from a “white Honda CR-V” and discharging a handgun at the U.S. consulate before driving away; officers later found shell casings and damage, with “no one was injured.”
SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon said officers executing the warrant were on the fourth floor when, “upon entry,” a 19-year-old suspect fired one shot at Pinizzotto and a second officer then shot the suspect “multiple times”; Hudon said the wounded suspect was in hospital in critical condition.
The Jerusalem Post reported allegations in a criminal complaint that Iranian proxy-linked Kataib Hezbollah senior official Mohammad Bagher Saad Dawood al-Saadi told an undercover officer that “his ‘people’ were behind the two attacks in Canada,” referring to the March 10 consulate shooting and a Toronto synagogue attack.
CTV reported that Pinizzotto was an 18-year veteran of the Toronto Police Service and, according to CP24 sources, was married and a father of twins—a boy and a girl—both aged 14.
Toronto Police Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was shot and killed early Thursday during a high-risk search warrant raid tied to the March shooting attack on the U.S. Consulate in Toronto. The 18-year veteran died at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre after being shot on the fourth floor of a North York apartment building at around 5:40 a.m., according to CBC News.
One suspect, 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett, was shot multiple times by police and remains in critical condition. A second suspect, 19-year-old Zara Jabbi, is still at large. Authorities say Jabbi is armed and dangerous. Chief Myron Demkiw said of Pinizzotto: "Marc was a hero in life, not death."
A Pre-Dawn Raid Turns Fatal on the Fourth Floor
Officers from the Toronto Police Emergency Task Force executed five coordinated search warrants simultaneously on the morning of June 11. At an apartment on Martha Eaton Way, near Black Creek and Trethewey, the operation turned deadly. Special Investigations Unit spokesperson Monica Hudon said that upon entry, a 19-year-old suspect fired one shot at Pinizzotto. A second officer then shot the suspect multiple times, according to Global News.
Pinizzotto was rushed to hospital but did not survive. Nicholas Bennett now faces a charge of First Degree Murder. CP24 reported, citing sources, that Pinizzotto was married and the father of 14-year-old twins — a boy and a girl. CTV confirmed he had served 18 years with the Toronto Police Service, including five years with the Emergency Task Force.
March Consulate Attack Sparked the Investigation Leading Here
The raid was directly tied to a March 10 attack on the U.S. Consulate on University Avenue. At 4:30 a.m., two suspects drove up in a white Honda CR-V and fired a handgun at the building. Officers later found shell casings and damage to the facade. No one was hurt, according to The Guardian.
Two weeks earlier, on March 2, gunfire targeted Temple Emanu-El synagogue in Toronto following Purim celebrations. Bullet holes were found in the front windows. Police say both attacks are connected and drove the months-long investigation that led to Thursday's warrants, according to The Jerusalem Post.
U.S. Prosecutors Allege Iranian Proxy Directed the Toronto Attacks
The investigation stretches far beyond Toronto. U.S. prosecutors arrested Mohammad Bagher Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, a senior official in Kataib Hezbollah — an Iraqi militant group backed by Iran and designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. In a criminal complaint, al-Saadi allegedly told an undercover officer that his "people" were behind both the consulate shooting and the synagogue attack in Canada, according to The Jerusalem Post.
U.S. court filings link al-Saadi to more than 20 global plots under a front group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. Prosecutors say the Toronto attacks were part of a broader campaign to pressure the U.S. and Israel to halt military action against Iran, according to todayville.com. The case involves parallel investigations by the RCMP, CSIS, and the FBI.
City Mourns an Officer Who Played Hockey and Raised Twins
A police procession for Pinizzotto began at 1:00 p.m. from Sunnybrook Hospital to the Chief Coroner's Office, with intermittent road closures along the route. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she has known the officer's mother for 20 years. Prime Minister Mark Carney called the consulate attack a "reprehensible act of violence" and pledged federal support, according to The Guardian.
Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell described Pinizzotto as "one of the most well-respected members" of the Emergency Task Force. Before joining the police, Pinizzotto was a professional hockey player in Europe, according to villagereport.ca. Authorities are urging Zara Jabbi to surrender peacefully. The SIU's investigation into the shooting runs parallel to the ongoing search.
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