Toronto robbery suspect allegedly assaults officer before arrest: police

FILE - A Toronto Police Service logo patch is shown in Toronto, on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

A Toronto man accused of robbing two retail stores earlier this month allegedly assaulted a police officer before he was arrested.

Toronto police said the two alleged robberies took place in Scarborough, in the area of Kingston Road and Military Trail and Meadowvale and Dean Park roads, during the early morning hours of Sept. 7.

In both alleged incidents, police say the suspect entered the store wearing a mask to disguise his identity and pointed a handgun at the victims.

The suspect then allegedly made demands for both lottery tickets and cash in the first incident. In the second incident, he exclusively demanded cash, police said.

The victims in both cases put the demanded items in a bag and handed them over to the suspect who fled the area in a vehicle.

Police launched an investigation and were able to identify the suspect. On Tuesday, Sept. 17, police said members of the Hold Up Squad located the suspect at an undisclosed location and attempted to place him under arrest.

However, police said, the suspect briefly escaped custody and assaulted an officer before being apprehended.

It’s unclear if the officer sustained any injuries.

As a result of their investigation, Shemore Getfield, 25, of Toronto, has been charged with two counts of robbery with a firearm, two counts of disguise with intent and one count each of escape lawful custody and assaulting police.

Getfield was scheduled to appear in a Toronto courtroom for a bail hearing on Tuesday, the results of which were not released by police.