The feet of a victim are pictured at the scene of an incident where a van struck multiple people on Yonge Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada April 23, 2018. (Reuters Photo/File)
“Kill me”. “No, get down”. “I have a gun in my pocket”. “I don’t care. Get down”. This the exchange heard between the suspect of Monday’s Toronto van attack, who appeared to have a gun in his pocket, and a police officer who refused to shoot him. The video, obtained by CBC News, goes on the show the suspect being arrested.
The officer has been praised for his restraint, minutes after the suspect plowed a vehicle into a crowed sidewalk in Canada’s biggest city on Monday afternoon, killing at least 10 people and injuring 15 others.
The Toronto Police have not revealed the identity of the officer. However, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said his behavior reflected the “high caliber of training that takes place”, reported Reuters. He added, “They are taught to use as little force as possible in any given situation.”
The @TorontoPolice and first responders faced danger without hesitation today, and I want to thank them for their courage and professionalism. We’ll continue working with our law enforcement partners as the investigation continues.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 24, 2018
The Toronto police identified the accused as 25-year-old Alek Minassian. A resident of Richmond Hill, a neighborhood close to the city, he was not known to police prior to the incident, nor had any links to militant groups.
“Based on what we have there’s nothing that has it to compromise the national security at this time,” Saunders was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.
Also read | Who is Alek Minassian?
“It’s quite apparent that the suspect was trying to be executed. He was really looking for ‘suicide-by-cop’,” Gary Clement, a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police superintendent with 34 years experience of policing, was quoted as saying Reuters.
“I would say this individual met the right police officer. Nobody knows how they’re going to react. In this situation a lot of it comes down to muscle memory. This guy reacted in a very mature manner,” Clement said.
Praise for the officer comes at a time when police in the US are being criticised for resorting to firing at suspects during arrests. There have been a series of police shootings and deaths during arrests.
Bouquets of flowers are placed at a makeshift memorial to the victims as a woman writes her condolences after a van mounted a sidewalk crashing into pedestrians in Toronto on Monday, April 23, 2018. (Aaron Vincent Elkaim/The Canadian Press via AP)
On Twitter, users have applauded the officer for the non-violent standoff. “Wow, at how these Canadian cops brought in this suspected killer,” Stuart A Thompson, for instance, posted.
Sad for Toronto. Proud of the officer who didn’t fire. Canada, don’t listen to the pro-gun garbage coming from America in the form of insensitive jokes and sarcasm. It’s just noise. #toronto #TorontoAttack
— Jay (@jasonrosewell) April 24, 2018
What a terrible day in #toronto today. It goes to show that tragedy, and evil, exist everywhere. But the officer that refused to shoot the killer reminds me why I love being #Canadian. #torontostrong #truenorthstrong http://t.co/1GMdfWtAoc
— Teri G. ???????????? (@ImagesByTeriG) April 24, 2018
This Police Officer did an outstanding job, nonviolently arresting the driver who killed 10 in Toronto ????
Driver: ‘I’ve got a gun in my pocket’
Officer: ‘I don’t care. Get down.’ http://t.co/a1jUgUlUOn
— RynheartTheReluctant (@TheRynheart) April 24, 2018
(With input from agencies)