September 2022
On 21 September, over 10, 000 police officers, including officers from Quebec, Halifax and the United States, attended the funeral of Toronto Police Constable Andrew Hong. The 22-year police veteran was murdered in an ambush-style attack while getting coffee at a Tim Hortons in Mississauga.
Hong leaves behind a wife Jenny and two children, 17-year old Mia and 15-year old Alex, all of whom spoke to the assembled crowd at the Toronto Congress Centre in Etobicoke.
A Traffic Services’ Motor Squad for 19-years, Hong was taking part in a motorcycle training exercise in Mississauga, and was on a lunch break when he was shot at close range in an unprovoked attack at a Tim Hortons. Police believe the now-deceased perpetrator, who was killed shortly afterwards in a shoot-out with neighbouring Halton Regional Police officers, was “looking for a police officer.”
The funeral procession began at the Kane-Jarret Funeral Home in Thornhill around 9:30 a.m., travelling along Highway 407, and arriving at the Toronto Congress Centre around 10:30 a.m., driving past the contingent of police officers lined up along Martin Grove Road.
A ceremonial honour guard met the hearse outside when it arrived and carried the casket inside for the funeral service.
Dignitaries in attendance included Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Ontario Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness and former Toronto police chief Bill Blair and Federal Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino.
Sources: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/funeral-underway-for-slain-toronto-police-officer-const-andrew-hong-1.6077048?fbclid=IwAR2Nu9X6tFYqPjFzOxf2IIk4BSsKN9iocFx1GITfg8ZsWo3sOHrMZadQB-Q, https://www.cp24.com/mobile/news/my-father-is-a-symbol-of-everything-i-want-to-be-family-colleagues-pay-final-respects-to-slain-toronto-police-officer-1.6077045?cache=yesclipId10406200text%2Fhtml%3Bcharset%3Dutf-80404.
