WARMINGTON: Arrest of allegedly armed man on TTC tracks 'could have been much worse'

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Some things are just a inch or second away from becoming big news.

Even though there wasn’t much buzz about it, this latest passenger video offers a glimpse of just how dangerous it is on Toronto’s transit system for passengers and police.

We have seen people pushed on the tracks before and set on fire. But a takedown of a suspect allegedly with a gun on the tracks seemed unusual. But anything goes down there these days. Toronto dodged a bullet on this one because if someone had have died on the subway tracks, things would never be the same down there again. Certainly, with soccer’s World Cup coming here next year, something has to give because the situation on the subway system is at a breaking point.

It almost broke for good Saturday. While no one yelled “lights, camera, action,” there sure was a lot of drama in this allegedly violent melee that saw a Toronto Police officer so hurt that he required surgery.

It allegedly started with a man with a gun robbing a passenger on the TTC subway platform at Bloor and Yonge. Then came a chase in which the handgun was thrown away and the suspect jumped down to track level, where everybody knows about the third rail and how it will fry anything it comes in contact with.

The next part of the scene is Toronto Police officers moving quickly in full pursuit, one with a long gun noticeable, as two of them dive out onto the tracks to chase and eventually tackle the suspect.

It looked like a Quentin Tarantino movie. But no one yelled cut. There were no directors, actors, stunt performers or makeup, wardrobe, sound, lighting or technical crew. For a minute there, Toronto looked like something out of dystopian movie where all-out anarchy and mayhem ensue.

But this was Toronto in September 2024. This was real. Not a movie. One look at the wild scene on the TTC in a video posted by 6BuzzTV and you can see how perilous this all could have turned out.

“We are grateful this situation ended as safely as it did. After responding to a call for a person threatening a family with a firearm, officers were able to safely arrest the man and (allegedly) seize a gun,” said Toronto Police Association president Jon Reid. “One officer was injured and (was) undergoing surgery, but thankfully is expected to make a full recovery.”

However, that was sure close to there being a need for funerals — for the suspect and the officers. If not for the quick actions of on-the-ball TTC staff to stop the incoming trains and shut off electrical power, this could have been a huge tragedy.

“It could have been much worse and is just another example of the risks our members face just by doing their jobs,” said Reid. “It’s truly unfortunate that we have to fight so hard for our officers to get the respect they deserve.”

There’s no way to fault them. The video shows them putting their lives at risk to protect others. There is no way to know for sure if the power was cut or that trains were notified, so these were brave actions. It impressed Anthony Furey, a former mayoral candidate who is running in the upcoming Don Valley West municipal byelection.

“The police officers involved deserve our thanks for their hard work, both for this and for the daily efforts they undertake that we don’t see,” said Furey. “I’m out knocking on doors right now and public safety is one of the leading concerns residents have. It’s good for the well-being and psyche of the city when we see the police out working hard for us.”

In addition to arresting a suspect, police also allegedly found the gun.

While the TTC said protective barriers separating the platform from the track level are part of planned renovations to Bloor-Yonge Station and will be part of the new Ontario line once completed, Councillor James Pasternak called for this to happen sooner.

“This has been talked about for many years, (but the) TTC has balked at installing safety barriers because of the cost,” said Pasternak. “While safety barriers do have merit and can save lives, we would need the other levels of government to come to the table to make it happen. Certainly, other safety measures such as suicide prevention, public education and the presence of security personnel can help prevent tragic incidents.”

While untested in court, as my Toronto Sun colleague Kevin Connor reports, Shaquille Miller, 30, of Toronto, is charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm, two counts of possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized, possession of a weapon, unauthorized possession of a prohibited device or ammunition, carrying a concealed weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order and two counts of assaulting a peace officer.

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