Awards for Brave, Dedicated Work
Toronto Police officers and civilian professionals who have demonstrated courage, compassion, dedication and innovation were recognized on September 25 at the Toronto Police College.
“You are here today because you stepped up,” Chief Myron Demkiw said. “You went above and beyond. Your courage, resilience and compassion have had a positive impact on our residents, our Service and our city.”
Commendations, Letters of Recognition and a Merit Mark were presented at the event.
Demkiw reminded the award winners they are policing at a time when it is critically important to work respectfully and collaboratively with communities and build trust.
“Your compassion, commitment to teamwork and willingness to go above and beyond to find solutions to our city’s complex needs, sometimes at risk to your safety, help us to build stronger and safer communities,” he pointed out. “The recognition you are receiving tonight is well earned. I am honoured to have the privilege of leading a police service with such exceptional members. And I am incredibly proud of our members for what they do every day to keep our communities safe. You have demonstrated through your actions that you truly exemplify the very best in the Toronto Police Service and your respective agencies.”
Toronto Police Service Board (TPSB) member Shelley Carroll said the awardees deserve praise and admiration for their selfless acts of bravery and excellence in the performance of their duties and their true dedication to community safety.
“Their actions inspire each one of us to strive for new heights of professionalism and service to the community,” she said. “They face great danger with selfless courage and deal with countless situations of chaos, sadness and risk with their trademark professionalism, compassion and dedication. For the Board, it is important to recognize individuals such as those we are celebrating today whose dedication and heroism make our city a better, safer and kinder place. It is a tremendous privilege to be a part of such an important event as well as to be part of such an outstanding organization.
“This continues to be a time of important and ongoing collaboration in our city as we work together in partnership with our community, implementing a comprehensive and robust action plan that policing services are responsive to the needs of the public. Integral to this innovative and dynamic approach is an absolute commitment to excellence. And it is indeed excellence that we celebrate today.”
The majority of the awards were Teamwork Commendations.
“This, to me, is a testament to the incredible power of partnership,” Carroll added. “It highlights the fact that people working together to help keep our city safe goes to the heart of Toronto’s character.”
Constables Mahmoud Gholamali, Vitalina Pseukina, Ryan Laurantaye, Marlene Velasco and Nikolas Macoritti, who is now with the Ontario Provincial Police, were the recipients of the Teamwork Awards.
While assigned to the Downtown Safety Plan at York St. and Bremner Blvd. on July 29, 2023, Constable Gholamali was approached by a citizen, saying a car was being driven erratically in a bike lane.
“When I saw the vehicle, it had some damage and there was a leak,” the 51 Division Major Crime Unit officer said. “As I got closer, I ran the plate and it came back as stolen.”
Gholamali contacted his supervisor, Sergeant Paul Young, informing him he might have to do a high-risk takedown.
“I was on foot and he told me to go for it,” recalled Gholamali, who joined the Service in 2019. “As I approached the vehicle with my firearm drawn, the driver attempted to accelerate away and, in the process, struck multiple vehicles before coming to a full stop because of engine failure. At that point, I ordered the driver and three other occupants to roll the windows down and put their hands up so I could see them. I didn’t want them out of the car for fear they might attempt to run away.”
Macoritti assisted Gholamali in arresting the driver while Laurantaye, Pseukina and Velasco took the remaining three occupants into custody.
Two of them were released while a female, who was in the front seat, was arrested and charged with having an extendable baton.
On February 17, 2024, officers from 14 Division responded to a suspicious incident call in Liberty Village.
They were informed that four people – three males and a female – were inside an adjacent apartment to the complainant loading a firearm and counting money.
Constables Chetranjan Jass and Francesca Totedo were among the first officers on the scene.
“Using available technology, such as the zoom capabilities on our mobile phones and a binocular provided by the complainant, we observed the situation closely and ensured continuous surveillance of the location,” said Jass. “Even with some intermittent radio communication challenges, we ensured that all communications were clear and concise. Our priority was maintaining public safety and effectively managing the evolving situation on the ground.”
When the suspects realized police were in the vicinity, they attempted to flee by jumping between balconies.
“I engaged directly with one of the suspects, warned him of the risks of jumping and urged him to comply for his safety,” said Jass. “This de-escalation effort resulted in the suspect returning safely to the apartment, avoiding potential injury.”
In returning to the apartment where the other suspects were, he dropped a firearm.
Totedo recovered the loaded firearm.
The suspect that returned to the unit rushed out of the door and was arrested.
The remaining suspects were arrested by Emergency Task Force officers.
Several 40-calibre hollow point bullets and a mini-Glock were located nearby.
Following a search warrant, cocaine and meth along with cash were seized from the apartment.
Inspector Robert Choe, of 14 Division, praised the officers for working cohesively to effect arrests.
“It is a shining example, highlighting the resourcefulness of our officers when presented with incredibly dynamic situations,” he said. “These types of results which I know occur daily clearly demonstrate the impact our frontline officers have on public safety.”
Detective Vijay Shetty was the recipient of the Merit Mark.
Granted by the Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB), the honour is bestowed for exemplary acts of bravery, performance of duty, community policing initiatives or innovations that enhance the image or operation of the Service.
While in Indiana in August 2023 with his Service dog, Blue, for a certification course, Shetty witnessed a shooting at a gas station.
Stopped at a red light after taking Blue for a vetenarian appointment, he heard several gunshots.
“A car spun around in the gas station, pulled up beside me and I saw two guys, with windows down, fire about six shots in the station,” Shetty recalled. “The car took off down a side road and I decided to follow it. I also called 9-1-1, but the operators were busy and I was put on hold. The navigation on the car I rented was not working. I followed these guys into a residential area and didn’t know which street I was on.”
With a car description, he returned to the shooting scene.
“I parked the vehicle I was driving in a way that I could protect the shell casings,” said Shetty, who joined the Service 27 years ago. “When I got out of the car, I saw two people who were shot. One guy, who I later gathered was the intended target, was in shock, running back and forth. I told him to calm down. A bullet went through his arm and he was bloodied. When I went over the other victim, he was laying face down on the ground. This guy was putting gas in his car when the shooting took place.
“As I was performing CPR, I asked the intended target to give me hand. Suddenly, a car came speeding into the gas station and I thought the guys had come back to finish the job. I later learned the intended target called his buddy who was in that car.”
The victim, who Shetty performed CPR, later succumbed to his injuries.
The veteran cop provided the police with a statement and returned to the training centre to continue the certification course.
Shetty and Blue successfully completed their certification that afternoon.
Blue is an electronics storage device detection dog assigned to the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, helping officers locate child explotation images and video while executing search warrants.
