Toronto police board says renowned gunsmith killed in raid was 'author of his own misfortune'
CBC
The Toronto Police Services Board says the renowned gunsmith who died in a police raid just over a year ago "was the author of his own misfortune" in a recently filed statement of defence.
The statement, filed on Sept. 2, is in response to a $23 million lawsuit filed by Rodger Kotanko's family, which alleges an "unlawful" raid led to his "wrongful death."
An officer shot the 70-year-old while executing a search warrant on Nov. 3, 2021 at his gunsmithing workshop in Ontario's Norfolk County.
The defence denies any wrongdoing on the part of the Toronto Police Services Board, Chief James Ramer, Insp. Norman Proctor and the five officers involved — Det. Const. Richard Haines, Det. Sgt. Robert DiDanieli, Det. Const. Alex Pandolfi, Det. Const. Jeffrey Winter and Det. Const. Graham Knill.
It's the first time all of the officers involved have been named publicly.
Toronto Police Service (TPS) told CBC Hamilton all of the officers named in the statement of defence have been with the service for at least 17 years.
Its statement comes months after an investigation by Ontario's police watchdog sided with TPS, saying the officers acted in self-defence.
None of the claims have been tested in court.
Kotanko owned D.A.R.K. International Trading Co. Inc., which imports guns and gun parts, and R.K. Custom Guns, which offers gunsmithing and gun deactivation.
He operated out of his gunsmithing workshop on Port Ryerse Road, right next to his home, and was licensed. People who knew him say he was renowned for his work.
Search warrant documents previously obtained by CBC News show police raided Kotanko's property to investigate why two guns with obliterated serial numbers registered to Kotanko were found at a crime scene in Toronto and another in North Bay, Ont.
The statement of defence says Kotanko and his employees didn't contact the Canadian Firearms Program or Chief Firearms Officer to transfer the two guns.
They accuse him of not keeping track of his guns, improperly storing them, and illegally selling the guns.
In the search warrant documents, they also alleged Kotanko illegally removed the serial numbers off the two guns himself.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is seeking security clearance to receive briefings on foreign interference in her province, but the leader of the Opposition says she shouldn't be trusted with it.
Big dogs are loyal canines, affectionate and sweet, but often overlooked when it comes to pet adoption, according to a city agency.
In advance of what is expected to be a hot summer, the City of Kamloops is encouraging homeowners to request a free assessment of their properties to make sure they are resilient in the face of wildfire.
The proportion of hours worked by Indigenous and northern workers on the Giant Mine Remediation Project has dropped over the last few years, according to figures provided to Yellowknife city council this week.
City officials say Calgary's water usage was once again above the recommended threshold of 500 million litres on Wednesday, after two consecutive days of landing in the "green zone."
Emergency crews are on the scene of a mudslide in Coquitlam, B.C., that knocked out power for about 5,000 customers on Thursday.
Calls for the judge in the Umar Zameer case to apologize for suggesting three Toronto police officers colluded and lied in the high-profile criminal trial are "unethical" and "inappropriate," Geoffrey Morawetz, the chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court, said Thursday.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre sat down for a more than two-hour-long interview on The Joe Rogan Experience this week.
Brandon Tobin killed his grandmother after a drug-induced seizure. A judge will soon decide his fate
A sheet of white paper shook in Brandon Tobin's hands as he read aloud his message to the judge on Thursday morning.
City officials in Greater Sudbury say crews are working day and night on cleanup efforts after a historic snowstorm buried roads, sidewalks and laneways — but residents should expect disruptions to last for weeks.
Three people were hurt and one was airlifted to a Halifax hospital with serious injuries after a crash Thursday morning on a busy highway in Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
The province is looking to eliminate time limits for victims of intimate partner violence seeking civil justice.
A former Quebec junior hockey player sentenced to prison last year for sexual assault will get a new trial.