Brian Smith

People have been asking why the pursuit was called off. Here’s why. Police pursuits are governed by strict rules, and public safety must always come first. The decision to continue or terminate a pursuit isn’t based solely on how busy the roads are. Officers must also consider the manner in which the suspect is driving, speeds, weather, visibility, and the risk posed to innocent people. The pursuing officer, the supervising officer, and the dispatcher all share responsibility for continuously assessing the risk. If the danger to the public outweighs the need to immediately apprehend the suspect, the pursuit must be terminated. If a fleeing vehicle strikes and seriously injures or kills an innocent person, the decision to continue the pursuit will be scrutinized, and those involved will be held accountable for whether it remained justified. The priority is always to protect innocent lives. There is often another opportunity to identify and arrest the suspect. There isn’t another chance to save an innocent person once tragedy occurs. Public safety must always remain paramount.

Toronto Police initially responded to this as an active shooter, which was the appropriate response based on the information available at the time. Investigators quickly determined it appears to have been a targeted gunfight between two individuals, not an indiscriminate active shooter targeting the public. That distinction matters, but it doesn’t lessen the horror. Two men are dead, five people were injured, and innocent people and families were caught in the crossfire while enjoying a summer evening at Toronto’s Salsa on St. Clair festival. The calculation for these fu$&! has to change. The risk of being identified, arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and spending multiple multiple multiple years behind bars must outweigh any perceived reward of shooting a rival. Until that balance shifts, reckless public gun violence like this will continue to put innocent lives at risk. More families shattered and for what? For enjoying a summer festival with family and friends. This is by no means the Toronto I grew up in or policed for three decades. Toronto is not nearly as safe as it once was. To many illegal guns and to many willing to use them. And, fewer people who want to hold those thugs accountable.