The president of Toronto91裸聊视频檚 police union says an officer91裸聊视频檚 actions in arresting a suspect in Monday91裸聊视频檚 deadly van attack was 91裸聊视频渙ne shining moment91裸聊视频� in an otherwise horrific day.
Mike McCormack of the Toronto Police Association said the arrest, caught on videos that have been widely circulated on social media, has served as a glimmer of hope for a city caught in tragedy.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 one shining moment in an absolutely game-changing, abysmal, horrific day in the city of Toronto,91裸聊视频� McCormack said in a phone interview Tuesday. 91裸聊视频淭he one 91裸聊视频� positive to take away from that day was his behaviour.91裸聊视频�
With the city still on edge following Monday91裸聊视频檚 midday massacre, many social media users have hailed the officer as a paragon of restraint in the face of abject terror based on footage of his tense standoff with the alleged driver. It happened not far from the stretch of Yonge Street where a man driving a van killed 10 people and injured 15 others.
Related: 10 killed, 15 injured after van hits pedestrians in Toronto
In one of the videos, a man, asking to be killed, stands by a damaged white rental van and points a dark object towards the officer.
The officer refuses to shoot and repeatedly yells for the man to get down.
The suspect warns he has a gun in his pocket.
91裸聊视频淪hoot me in the head,91裸聊视频� the man can be heard saying.
From a highrise window, another video appears to show the suspect walking backwards with his arms raised as the officer moves towards him.
The suspect eventually goes to the ground and street-level footage shows the officer kneeling over him as he lies on the pavement.
91裸聊视频淚t could have gone either way. Any time if that threat escalated, we could have had a different outcome,91裸聊视频� McCormack said of the arrest.
91裸聊视频淗e reacted to what he was seeing, what his training taught him, and we91裸聊视频檙e extremely proud of him. He may have prevented additional deaths.91裸聊视频�
McCormack said the officer was one of many first responders who ran towards the danger as the van mounted the sidewalk between Finch Avenue and Sheppard Avenue.
Officers pushed pedestrians out of the van91裸聊视频檚 path, performed CPR and attended to 91裸聊视频渕angled91裸聊视频� victims, said McCormack.
Even for seasoned officers, he said, the carnage was among the worst they had ever witnessed.
McCormack has been in touch with the unidentified arresting officer, who he said is overwhelmed with emotion, but eager to get back on the streets.
91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 more concerned with the victims 91裸聊视频� than what he has done.91裸聊视频�
McCormack said that while the officer maintains his actions were 91裸聊视频渘o big deal,91裸聊视频� as the adrenaline fades, he will have to face the magnitude of what he91裸聊视频檚 gone through.
He confronted a man accused in an attack that left 25 people wounded or killed, and both suspect and officer lived to tell the tale, McCormack said.
91裸聊视频�(There91裸聊视频檚) this whole notion that police officers go out and shoot first and ask questions later,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淢any times our officers are dealing with people in situations that91裸聊视频檚 resolved in a peaceful way.
91裸聊视频淚t was demonstrated in an overwhelmingly clear fashion 91裸聊视频� what police officers are really about, and what they really do.91裸聊视频�
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
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