Toronto officer dead after being struck by vehicle in ‘intentional and deliberate act,’ police say
Const. Jeffrey Northrup┬аwas killed after being struck by a vehicle in what investigators are calling an “intentional and deliberate act”┬аin the parking garage at city hall early┬аFriday morning,┬аToronto police say.
“This event will have a profound impact on our service, on our city and all the members of the policing community,” Toronto Police Chief James Ramer told reporters at the scene later Friday morning.┬а
Ramer said the incident┬аhappened shortly after midnight in the city hall parkade, located near Bay and Queen streets.┬а
Northrup and his partner were responding to a priority call when they were struck.┬а
Northrup was transported without vital signs to St. Michael’s Hospital, where he died. His┬аpartner was transported to the same hospital, where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.┬а
It is with profound sadness that we have lost a member of our family. Constable Jeff Northrup #99201 was killed in the line of duty while responding to a call overnight in the Queen and Bay St area
You will be missed brother. #HeroesInLife ??? pic.twitter.com/ku7wnFRHQK
┬аA suspect has been arrested, Ramer said, and the Toronto police┬аhomicide unit has taken over the investigation.
“We believe this was an intentional and deliberate act,” Ramer said.┬а
A collision reconstruction unit is currently at the scene.┬а
Officer for 31 years, father of 3
A police officer for 31 years and a┬аmember of 52 Division since 2008, Northrup leaves behind his┬аwife, three children and his mother.┬а
Ramer said members of the Toronto Police Association visited Northup’s family overnight to deliver the “devastating news.”┬а
“It goes without saying that it will be most devastating to the family, colleagues and and friends of Constable Northrup,” Ramer said.┬а
Our deepest condolences to the family & loved ones of Constable Jeffrey Northrup of 52 Div., who was tragically killed overnight. We join the entire @TorontoPolice community in grief; it is an extraordinarily devastating and senseless loss – one that we mourn together, as a city.
Toronto Mayor John Tory also spoke to reporters Friday, expressing his condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
“On behalf of the three million people who our┬аpolice officers serve [and]┬аthe men and the women of the police service, I begin┬аby extending to the family of officer Northrup our deepest condolences,” he said.┬а
Tory said the city is providing supports to the family and asked that everyone “please respect” their privacy.”┬а
’15 cop cars at least’
Witnesses on scene say there was a heavy police presence and that fire crews and paramedics were also on scene.┬а
“All of a┬аsudden all the emergency vehicles started showing up and we could smell something burning,” said┬аAkashdeep Gill.
“There was a huge police presence around тАФ┬а15 cop cars at least.”
A second witness,┬аAsad Bari, also said he smelled┬аfire and saw that the parking gate had been broken.┬а
“Where the exit is, we saw that the exit barrier was broken down,” he said.┬а
More to come.┬а
