Three videos shot by a neighbour show the dramatic police takedown that followed a mass shooting in Toronto's Jane and Finch neighbourhood.
The videos, obtained exclusively by CTV Toronto and CP24, were captured by security cameras on Thursday as police rushed to the area to arrest four suspects in the shooting.
Five people were sent to hospital as a result of the shooting that took place while officers were investigating a vehicle on Elmhurst Drive, near Islington Avenue and Rexdale Boulevard.
The shooting happened nearby in the area of Jane Street and Driftwood Avenue shortly before 6 p.m.
Police said one female and four males suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital. Four guns were recovered and four suspects were arrested shortly after the incident.
In a statement released Thursday night, police said one of the suspects was shot in an "interaction with police" during the arrest. Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has been called to probe the incident.
Though the police shooting was not caught on camera, the moments prior to the incident were.
A neighbour had multiple security cameras positioned on his property and caught the suspect takedown on film.
In one of the videos, a black, unmarked police car can be seen entering the frame near a group of stopped vehicles in a driveway in Elmhurst. The suspects’ car can be seen behind the unmarked car. Several police cruisers approach and block in the suspects’ car.
Two suspects can be seen running out of the trapped car as another unmarked police car follows them up the driveway.
The black car can be seen ramming into a parked red Honda on a driveway. The police car rolls back then lurches forward, hitting the Honda again.
Meanwhile, an armed police officer is seen taking down a suspect on a lawn on the upper right side of the frame. The suspect on the lawn was wounded by a bullet during the altercation.
Two plainclothes officers jump out of the unmarked car holding guns, and run after the suspects behind a home.
A second security camera shows two officers running between two homes. The female officer opens a gate and runs into a backyard, while the male kicks down a wooden fence to get into a neighbouring yard. The suspect can be seen dropping to the ground and being arrested at the edge of the frame.
A video obtained Thursday shows the events that occurred at the front of the home during the pursuit. More police cars arrive, and several police officers run to the backyard.
On Friday, police identified the suspects as four men in their 20s, each facing more than a dozen charges.
Akeem Bailey, 25, has been charged with 30 offences. Clifton Vassel Youria, 29, faces 36 charges. Maurice Smith, 21, faces 25 charges and Daniel Duarte-Alvarez, 20, has been charged with 21 offences. A full list of charges is available online.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with more information is asked to contact police at 416-808-3100, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS).
