A Toronto police officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries Friday after he was stabbed in the city’s west end.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Toronto police said the stabbing occurred around 1:30 p.m. near College Street and Lansdowne Avenue.
A suspect was also shot, police said, though what led to their injuries was not immediately clear.
Both were rushed to hospital by emergency run, police added. In a statement, the Toronto Police Association said the officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and was conscious and breathing in hospital.
Toronto police deputy chief Lauren Pogue said the incident began when police were called to help a person in crisis around 1 p.m. on Friday.
“Officers arrived on scene and while trying to apprehend the male, a police officer was stabbed in the leg,” Pogue said, reading a prepared statement.
“An officer then discharged their firearm.”
Deputy chief Pogue said she could not provide more information on the incident because the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) had taken on the investigation.
She did not take questions after reading her statement.
The SIU, the province’s civilian police oversight agency, confirmed it had invoked its mandate.
The police watchdog leads investigations into police-involved incidents that result in injury or death, including when an officer uses their firearm.
Kristy Denette, SIU spokesperson, confirmed the initial call was for a person in crisis.
She said a struggle between the man and two officers took place at the scene, with the man taking out a knife and stabbing one of the officers. Denette said one of the police officers shot the man.
She said the officer who was stabbed was the same officer who used his gun.
Before that happened, Denette said a conductive energy weapon — or a Taser — was used twice but was ineffective.
Speaking outside the hospital where the officer was taken, union president Jon Reid said the man was still in stable condition.
He said a male officer in his early 20s had been stabbed with a knife in his leg. Reid said the man had completed his probation but had less than one year of experience on the job.
“The officer is doing okay, he is undergoing treatment at this point,” Reid said. “I think, hopefully, down the road he will make a full recovery.”
Police said the suspect was also in stable condition.
Latest Toronto police injury
Earlier this week, two Toronto officers were injured in separate incidents in the city.
At around 9:40 p.m. on Monday, an officer was injured while responding to a suspicious incident in North York, and police said it involved a group of men reportedly attempting to steal a car.
When they got to the scene, officers located the suspects and one was arrested on location, while another was arrested after a brief foot chase.
“The other suspects fled the area,” police said in a news release.
“During the course of the arrests, a police officer suffered a serious non-life-threatening injury.”
Two 19-year-old men are facing charges of attempted theft exceeding $5,000 and having their face masked/disguised. One of the men was also charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer.
Meanwhile, on Monday around 11 p.m. near Queen and Duncan streets in downtown Toronto, an officer dressed in full uniform walking to a police station was allegedly assaulted by a man.
Police said the suspect engaged the officer in a conversation before the assault.
Police said a witness intervened and helped to arrest the suspect. The officer was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A 31-year-old man has been charged with assaulting a peace officer in that incident.
Pogue said Friday that four officers have now been injured in a two-period in Toronto.
She said the latest officer to be injured was stable in hospital and receiving support from his family and the police community.
“Our officer is surrounded by his colleagues and has the full support of command and all Toronto Police Service members,” Pogue said.
“This is the fourth Toronto police officer injured in the past two weeks, which really underscores the inherent risks our officers confront daily while serving the community.”
Reid, TPA president, voiced his frustration at the string of violent incidents.
“I have had enough with what’s going on in this city, this is the third officer we’ve had injured now in three days,” he said.
“We had a uniform officer punched in the face walking down the street a few days ago, another officer with a broken leg and now we have this. It has to stop.”
Officers face risks keeping Toronto safe, chief says
Minutes before Friday’s stabbing, Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said he commended the force’s officers for their “resilience.”
“Two officers were injured while serving & protecting in separate incidents this week,” he said in a post on X.
“Fortunately, both will recover, but this is an example of the risks our officers face keeping Toronto safe.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow wished the officer a speedy recovery in her own social media post Friday evening.
“This week, three @TorontoPolice officers were injured doing their duties,” Chow wrote.
“One assaulted walking down the street, another hurt intervening in a car theft, and now this troubling incident. Violence is never acceptable.”
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