Thousands of officers gather at Toronto Congress Centre to honour fallen Toronto Police ETF officer

In remembrance of Constable Marc Pinizzotto. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.

Thousands of police officers marched along Dixon Road to the Toronto Congress Centre in Etobicoke in remembrance of Constable Marc Pinizzotto, an 18-year veteran of the Toronto Police Service, was fatally shot 11 June while executing a search warrant. Another week, another police funeral.

It’s been a rough couple of months for the policing family in Canada, as Pinizzotto is the fifth other officer killed in the line of duty since April, and the third in June alone. The dedicated 43-year-old training Constable and ETF member was also a husband to Andrea and father to two children, 14-year-old twins Daniella and Domenic. There were many tears shed during the 2 1/2 hour service.

Constable Pinizzotto, acting as a member of the Emergency Task Force, was part of a team executing several warrants, including one related to the shooting of at the American Consulate in Toronto in March. Preliminary reports indicate that Pinizzotto was killed by a “fluke shot” that hit an area not protected by his vest. Fellow officers rushed the wounded officer to the hospital, but Pinizzotto did not survive his wounds.

Dignitaries in attendance included Lieutenant.-Governor Edith Dumont, Premier Doug Ford, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.

Eulogies were delivered by some of Pinizzotto’s colleagues, including Sergeant Ken Lefort, who leads the ETF unit that Pinizzotto was assigned to, ETF Acting Superintendent Peter Morris, Master of Ceremonies Superintendent Greg Watts and Chief Myron Demkiw, many of whom referred to Pinizzotto by his nickname, “Pinner.”

In addressing the assembled crowd, Pinizzotto’s mother Linda said policing was not simply a career for her son. “It was a calling. It was his legacy,” she said, noting he went to work every day with pride and honour.

Police Chief Myron Demkiw said Pinizzotto was killed in the line of duty, “protecting our freedom and our security,” adding he was a hero in life. “He devoted his life to service and to protecting others,” Chief Demkiw said. “He embodied the values we all strive to uphold.”

Pinizzotto’s daughter Daniella had one of the most touching moments as she described her dad as her best friend. Along with cherishing their “daddy-daughter dates,” she also said, “Although I used to get embarrassed to hold your hand in public, I would do anything to do it one last time.”

Pinizzotto, who grew up in Mississauga and lived in Oakville, was also a dedicated hockey player, playing for the Oakville Rangers for almost ten-years. Before embarking on a policing career, Pinizzotto was a professional hockey player, playing for Erfurt Black Dragons in the German Oberliga.

On a personal note, I have attended many police funerals in my career as a police officer and into my retirement, and it never gets easier. Anyone who professes a hatred of police and advocates for “Defund the Police,” should pay attention to the officers gathered at a police funeral. This is where you see the humanity behind the uniform, along with more than a few tears. All officers know that the fallen officer very easily could have been them. That’s why, even in retirement, I still attend police funerals and the annual National Police and Peace Officers Memorial service in Ottawa in September.

It was very touching hearing from everyone at the funeral, especially when Daniella talked about wishing she could hold her father’s hand one more time. My daughter turned 18 last month and she will still hold my hand if we are walking together. I don’t know how much longer she will do that, or whether I really should be doing it now that she’s an adult, but I will certainly cherish it for as long as I can. Hopefully she will too.

Not all injuries are visible

I hope police commanders and supervisors will also be looking out for their officers over the next several weeks and months. There will no doubt be some who will be hurting, not just those who personally knew Marc Pinizzootto, and/or responded to the scene where he was shot, but in the wider policing community. As someone whose career ended due to PTSD, you never know how hard a negative event, like the death of a fellow police officer, even if you didn’t personally know them, may hit you. More often than not, the officer will be afraid to come forward, fearing career implications.

In many cases, it only becomes apparent that something is wrong with those suffering after it’s too late.

Police deaths (to date) in 2026:

Sgt. Brandon Malcolm (Ontario Provincial Police): Passed away in a single-vehicle motorcycle collision while on duty in Cobourg, ON, on 27 April 2026.
Const. Tarun Bali (Ontario Provincial Police): Struck and killed by a fleeing vehicle while attempting a traffic stop in Hearst, ON, on 9 June 2026.
Const. Marc Pinizzotto (Toronto Police Service): Fatally shot on 11 June 2026, while executing a search warrant in North York tied to an investigation into multiple shootings.
Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane (Service de police de la Ville de Montréal): Shot and killed on 22 June 2026, while responding to an emergency call in the Côte-des-Neiges district of Montreal.
Sgt. Brandon Malcolm (Ontario Provincial Police): Killed in a single motor vehicle collision, 27 April 2026.