The funeral for a Toronto police constable killed on the line of duty last week will be held on Wednesday, June 24, according to the service.
In a news release Tuesday, Toronto police said the funeral will be held in Etobicoke at 1 p.m. The funeral procession will make its way from Kane-Jerrett Funeral Home to the Toronto Congress Centre.
Members of the public are invited to observe the funeral procession, but the funeral is not open to the general public, according to the release. It will be limited to communities close to the family, police services and emergency service personnel.
Toronto police said further details about the procession route would be provided at a later time.
PHOTOS | Toronto officer shot and killed in the line of duty:
Const. Marc Pinizzotto died on Thursday last week, after serving 18 years on the force. Toronto police say he is survived by his wife and two children.
Pinizzotto, 43, died after being shot at a fourth-floor apartment building in northwest Toronto, as officers carried out an investigation into multiple shootings, including several targeting Toronto-area synagogues and one at the U.S. Consulate in March.
Special Investigations Unit spokesperson Monica Hudon said last week that an “exchange of gunfire” broke out while police were carrying out a search warrant at a residential building near Tretheway Drive and Black Creek Drive around 5:40 a.m.
Nicholas Bennett of Toronto, the 19-year-old suspect behind the shooting, is in custody in hospital. Toronto police say he will be charged with first-degree murder.
The police watchdog is investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting and officer’s death.
Hours after his death, hundreds of officers stood shoulder to shoulder, some wiping their eyes, as a procession carried Pinizzotto’s body from Sunnybrook hospital to the office of the chief coroner. Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw tearfully called him a “hero in life, not death.”
On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of first responders gathered along the streets of Toronto for a procession honouring the Toronto police officer.
A number of officials have offered tributes, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
In a tribute to her son posted on social media Friday last week, Pinizzotto’s mother, Linda, said her son was “an incredible father, son, husband, coach and friend of many.” She wrote that her family is devastated by his loss, but thankful for the outpouring of grief they have received.
“We are forever sincerely grateful for your heartfelt blessings, wonderful messages of condolence, and kindness,” she wrote. “His passing echoes deep inside us, our loving family is shattered as we search for words.”
Speaking to reporters at a news conference Tuesday, Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said this is an “incredibly difficult moment.”
“The members of our emergency task force are amongst the highest trained officers in this country,” he said. “They respond to the most dangerous calls. They protect this city. They safeguard their fellow officers and they serve with exceptional courage.
Demkiw added it has been “an incredible few days” of public support.
“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.”