First-degree murder charge laid in killing of Toronto police officer from Mississauga

A 19-year-old man has been formally charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Toronto Police officer and Mississauga native Marc Pinizzotto, who was killed in the line of duty on June 11.

Toronto Police said the charges were laid on Friday, eight days after Pinizzotto, 43, a married father of two, was shot and killed while executing a high-risk search warrant in the North York area of Toronto.

The fallen officer and his fellow Emergency Task Force officers descended on an apartment building in the early morning hours to conduct the raid in relation to a number of shootings in the Greater Toronto Area.

A suspect was shot by police during that incident and later hospitalized.

On Friday, police charged Nicholas Bennett, 19, of Toronto, with first-degree murder. He appeared in Toronto court via video from his hospital room.

Mississauga park renamed in fallen officer’s memory

To honour Pinizzotto, the City of Mississauga has renamed a park near his childhood home in his honour. Mississauga city council met for a special session last Wednesday to quickly vote on — unanimously, as it turned out — the renaming.

The park formerly known as Indian Gate Park, located on Indian Road in the heart of the affluent Lorne Park community in southwest Mississauga, is now called Constable Marc Pinizzotto Park.

Marc Pinizzotto, who grew up as the middle child, and his two brothers often played at the park as children in Mississauga.

(Photo: Mayor Carolyn Parrish X)

Though the park has quickly taken on its new name, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish said the city will wait until the Pinizzotto family is ready before organizing an official unveiling ceremony.

The mayor said she also envisions, in time, a memorial plaque and nearby benches at the newly named park to further honour the fallen police officer, “so it is a place of reflection.”

Marc Pinizzotto was born and raised in Mississauga, moving some years later to Oakville where he further developed into an elite hockey player and, eventually, a respected coach as well.

An 18-year member of the Toronto Police Service, the married father of two teens, Daniella and Dominic, had spent the past five years as a well-liked and respected officer with Toronto’s highly trained Emergency Task Force.

Pinizzotto is also survived by his wife, Andrea.

Const. Marc Pinizzotto, his wife Andrea and children, Daniella and Dominic, are seen in this photo provided by Toronto Police.

Toronto Police said the funeral service for Pinizzotto will take place this Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Toronto Congress Centre, North Building, at 650 Dixon Rd. in Etobicoke.

Police officials said members of the public are invited to observe the funeral procession as it travels from the Kane-Jerrett Funeral Home (8088 Yonge St.) in Vaughan to the congress centre.

However, “while we appreciate the public’s support, the funeral is not open to the general public. It will include communities close to the family, police services and emergency service personnel,” Toronto Police added.