TORONTO -- Surveillance footage obtained by CTV News Toronto shows a shootout at a gas station prior to an hours-long standoff between York Regional Police officers and a 34-year-old man in Richmond Hill last month.
An investigation by the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) found that, on Dec. 27, an officer spotted a person of interest operating a vehicle near Bayview Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive in the morning of Dec. 27. Officials said that the officer learned there were grounds to arrest the man “due to breach of conditions.”
The officer then followed the man as he pulled into a gas station around 10:30 a.m.
In video footage of the interaction, which runs about a minute and a half long, the officer is seen approaching a man wearing a white jacket and a ball cap. After a few words are exchanged, the man appears in the video to push the officer’s hand away before moving backwards.
As the man and police officer move behind a car and out of view of the camera, shots are heard. The officer is then seen running backward, holding a gun up, firing shots in the direction of the suspect.
The man is seen in the video running away, taking cover behind a gas pump. It appears as though he is holding a handgun.
A short time later, the man appears to run back towards the parked vehicle, using it as cover as he continues to fire the gun. He is then seen getting into the vehicle and putting it into gear, backing into a black SUV in the process.
Another camera angle shows the suspect’s vehicle manoeuvring around the car and a York Regional Police cruiser before fleeing the area.
Investigators said that after the shootout, the man headed to his home and barricaded himself inside.
Officers made numerous attempts to try and get the man to come outside, the SIU added, including throwing tear gas inside the residence.
According to investigators, the man then “used a long gun to shoot at the police officers.”
Around 10:30 p.m., nearly 12 hours after the original shootout, the man surrendered to police “on his own will,” officials said.
The SIU terminated its investigation into the events after they determined the man did not sustain any serious injuries.
York Regional Police said that Richmond Hill resident Anoshirvan Shirizadeh was facing more than 10 charges in connection with the investigation, including attempted murder.
