Recent News stories
The role of a K9 Officer and canine partner is one of the most dangerous jobs in policing as these recent incidents demonstrates:
Recent memorial held for PSD Bingo from the Toronto Police Service
Forever remembered': Memorial held for slain Toronto police dog 'Bingo'
Posted Sep 22, 2023, 3:15PM EDT.
Last Updated Sep 22, 2023, 3:20PM EDT.
Hundreds of Toronto police officers gathered on Friday to remember a special member of the local police service.
“Bingo” of the K-9 unit was killed in the line of duty in July. The two-year-old German Shepherd was shot while responding officers were looking for an armed suspect in Etobicoke.
Toronto police chief Myron Demkiw spoke at the memorial service at the Woodbine Banquet Hall.
“Bingo will forever be remembered as the amazing police service dog he was,” Demkiw said. “A dog that demonstrated that he, too, could serve and protect alongside some of the best police officers in the country — members of the Toronto Police Service.”
RELATED: ‘Every handler’s worst fear:’ Former K9 officer details bond between dogs, handlers
The province’s police watchdog said a man allegedly fled a property, shot at officers and was later tracked down in a nearby backyard. After the interaction with Bingo, police shot the suspect. He was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
Kenneth Grant, 44, was charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting Bingo on July 24. A procession was held two days later, as Bingo’s body was brought out in a Canadian flag-draped casket to a waiting police SUV.
Sgt. Brandon Smith and the German Shepherd worked and lived together. The pair were partners on the road after going through extensive training at the same time.
Sgt. Smith also spoke at Friday’s service, saying he’s been a police officer for 24 years, but it took him 23 years to find his purpose as a member of the K-9 unit.
“I have had pets all my life and never thought I could have a stronger connection,” Sgt. Smith said.
“But after spending every day with Bingo, both at work and at home, more often spending more time with him than with Heather and my children, we developed a bond that was deeper than that of a pet.”
SEE MEMORIAL SERVICE - LIVE STREAMED ON YouTube
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Over 60 police dog teams gather in Woodstock for fallen dog's memorial
Police officers and their canine partners from across the province marched in Woodstock Tuesday as a police dog who died in the line of duty last month was laid to rest.
Born in 2019, Taz joined the Woodstock Police Service in 2021. He’s being remembered as a high-energy and extremely capable police dog who loved a jump in the pond when not working.
“He was a good community dog. He was an effective tracking dog. On all disciplines, he was amazing – never a problem, never an issue,” said London Police Service Sgt. Travis Wintjes, who helped train Taz.
Wintjes said the police K9 community is close and it’s difficult to see one of their own go down.
“Every dog handler has a little bit of, you know, they've been through the connection with their dog. So it's a lot, the way that that we've lost Taz in the line of duty.”
Woodstock police say Taz and another dog, Striker, were deployed as part of a drug investigation in Stratford on July 3 when both appeared to ingest crystal methamphetamine. Narcan was administered and both dogs were rushed to a veterinary clinic. Striker survived, but Taz did not.
Starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, a procession involving more than 60 police dogs and their handlers, pipers, horses and other police personnel marched down Finkle Street to the Reeves Community Complex where a private service was held.
While the service was closed to the public, dozens of community members lined the streets to honour Taz.
“Our son is a police officer, so it’s near and dear to our hearts to make sure that we support our police officers in every aspect that they do – whether it be a dog or anything – because they are there to help protect us and sometimes we need to give thanks for what they do,” one person who watched the procession with their dog told CTV News.
Woodstock police say they were honoured to see so many officers, dogs and community members remember Taz.
“To see all of the people who came out to line in the street to watch the procession to pay their respects to Taz was something really special for the police service,” said Shaylyn Jackson, a community service officer with Woodstock police.
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SAD News
WARMINGTON: TORONTO POLICE K9 BINGO SHOT DEAD DURING SEARCH FOR MURDER SUSPECT IN ETOBICOKE
The SIU is probing the suspect injury
There is no call more feared for Toronto Police than hearing “officer down.”
Toronto Police lost one of their own — the first canine member to be killed in the line of duty — and are in mourning as they remember a great peer who worked diligently to keep the community safe.
“Bingo, one of our K9s, was killed in the line of duty by gunfire tonight,” Chief Myron Demkiw tweeted overnight. “Thank you for keeping our members safe and thank you for your service. My deepest condolences to his partner and to all of our TPSK9 unit.”
This was a wild incident that began on Dixon Road near Kipling Ave. area around 7:55 p.m. in which police were aiming to locate and arrest a 44-year-old man wanted for murder.
Cops went to 290 Dixon Rd. and, according to the province’s Special Investigation’s Unit, the wanted man “exited the address and shot at officers.”
He fled and officers found him in the backyard of a residence on Kingsview Blvd. around 8:40 p.m.
The SIU says the man fatally shot Bingo and then an officer shot and struck the man. He remains in hospital with a serious injury. The SIU did not specify which murder the man was being sought over.
The maximum sentence for intentionally killing a law enforcement animal is five years in prison.
Toronto Police Association president Jon Reid said the shooting of two-year-old Bingo has shaken up the police community.
And they are rallying around Bingo’s partner, Sgt. Brandon Smith, who was also at great risk in this incident. Smith has 25 years of policing with both 12 and 31 Divisions in Toronto.
Just earlier this year in May, Bingo and Smith were lauded for two major arrests in the same week.
“What a great week for PSD Bingo and Sgt. Smith,” said the Toronto Police Dog Services Facebook page.
It described how in 33 Division the “K9 team of Bingo and Sgt. Smith were called in to search the home” where “it didn’t take long to find the perpetrator hiding in one of the bedrooms.” And then later, in 43 Division in a gun call, “Bingo began tracking the suspect into the woods and located him hiding in the deep bush” helping the Emergency Task Force “take a man into custody and recover a firearm.”
As one officer involved in the call in which Bingo was shot said, this police dog was one hell of a great cop. A German shepherd that joined Police Dog Services in July 2022 and graduated from an intense training course in December, Bingo was loved and respected by the 34 dogs and 23 handlers in this amazing unit.
his terrible call at Kingsview Blvd. and Worthview Court Tuesday night was the kind of reality that Bingo and his partner had to deal with, shift in and out. There is nothing easy about policing in general in 2023, but it is particularly precarious for the K9 Unit who don’t ever have an easy day.
This reality is what they faced once again Tuesday. Bingo paid the worst price. Now a police service and the whole city of Toronto say thank you to another police member who was murdered while out trying to keep the community safe.
The flags in the whole city should be at half mast today in honour of this brave Toronto Police dog who not only risk life and limb every day but paid the ultimate sacrifice.
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May 19, 2022
Regina, Saskatchewan – A 34 year-old Regina male, arrested for a sexual assault, is facing numerous additional charges, including a new Criminal Code charge for injuring a law enforcement animal, after an event this morning (Thursday) in a Northwest Regina neighbourhood.
On Thursday, May 19, 2022, several patrol units, with the addition of a Canine team, set out for the 600 block of Garnet Street to effect an arrest on an individual alleged to have committed a sexual assault on a 24 year-old female in Regina on May 9, 2022. The plan for the arrest called for extra caution as there were indicators that this individual may be armed and violent. At approximately 8:09 a.m., police spotted the suspect leaving his residence on foot. Officers followed him on foot and as they drew closer to the suspect, the Canine officer called out, ordering the suspect to stop as he was under arrest. The suspect ran instead and the Canine member sent his dog in pursuit. The dog made contact with the suspect, biting his leg, but then broke away unexpectedly as the suspect continued to run. Moments later, a patrol officer was in a position to take the suspect to the ground without incident. At about the same time, the Canine officer reported that the police dog was injured. The dog was taken immediately to a veterinary clinic for treatment of serious injuries. As the result of further investigation, the suspect, already being charged for the May 9th sexual assault, faces several other charges. PSD (Police Service Dog) Ralph is expected to make a full recovery.
