The Toronto Police Service announced that Umar Zameer, 31, has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly running down 31-year police veteran Const. Jeffrey Northrup with his car on Canada Day. Zameer was arrested immediately following the incident with charges filed Friday afternoon.
Toronto Police Chief James Ramer said Northrup had responded to a call in the parking garage near Queen and Bay Streets just after midnight. Northrup, who had been in plainclothes, had responded with another officer to a "priority call" in the area. The plain clothes officers would have had their badges around their necks in plain sight and identified themselves as police officers, according to Ramer.
The call had originally been reported as a robbery but was soon upgraded to a stabbing. Ramer said that Zameer struck both officers with his car in a manner that was "deliberate and intentional," according to CP24.
Northrup was given aid on the scene by police and firefighter and rushed to hospital. Northrup was eventually pronounced dead shortly after arriving. Northrup's partner was also taken to hospital but was released after being treated for minor injuries.
Northrup has been in the police force for 31 years and only recently joined the major crimes unit where he served on the night of his death.
Ramer told reporters that Northrup's life-long dream was to be a police officer saying, "When I talked to his mother this morning she said, 'You know, he died doing something that he loved,'" Ramer said in a briefing on Friday. "He loved his job and went in to do that job every day, despite the dangers that we occasionally face, he continued to do that job the best of his ability."
Ramer and 52 Division Unit Commander Supt. Greg Cole attended Northrup’s family home Friday morning to deliver the devastating news to his wife, three children, and mother, according to the Toronto Sun.
A publication ban prevents police from disclosing any more information about Zameer however authorities did say that no other suspects were outstanding. Zameer is being held in custody until his next court appearance on July 23.
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