Brampton shootout earns Peel cops Ontario Medal of Bravery
Published April 27, 2022 at 4:47 pm
Chasing down an attempted murderer while under gunfire has seen two Peel Regional Police officers awarded with the Ontario Medal of Bravery.
Const. Jason Beccario and Manikosh Pathak were given the honours on Friday (April 22) by Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
The officers were recognized “for their professionalism, confidence in their training, and ability to control a chaotic event” during a shootout more than five years ago.
Police say Beccario and Pathak responded to a 911 call of a male and female fighting in Brampton on June 8, 2016.
The male suspect resisted the officers and attempted to assault them before pulling a firearm from his waistband and firing a round at close range towards Const. Beccario, some 12 inches from his torso.
According to a Special Investigations Unit (SIU) report, the officers drew their service weapons and returned fire as the suspect fired several more rounds at the officers.
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The suspect fled the scene with Beccario and Pathak in pursuit.
The SIU said the suspect was arrested with the assistance of a canine unit, and the man was later convicted of attempted murder according to police.
The report found the suspect suffered a total of nine gunshot wounds during the shootout, while the officers were not injured. The SIU cleared the officers of any wrongdoing in relation to the incident.
“Knowing the dangers presented to anyone who encountered this suspect, our officers placed themselves at risk to ensure that this dangerous offender was apprehended,” Peel Regional Police said in a release.
“What transpired one June evening in 2016 was an example of how quickly things can escalate and how the thorough training of our members prepared them to produce the best outcome of a highly unpredictable situation,” police said.
The Ontario government honoured 43 firefighters and police officers with medals last week.
The medals are the province’s highest honours in recognition of firefighters and police officers whose actions demonstrate bravery in the line of duty.
The SIU is the independent civilian government agency that investigates the conduct of police officers which may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, and the discharge of a firearm at a person.
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