Suspect in Toronto officer's killing formally charged with murder
Nicholas Bennett, 19, regained consciousness in hospital Friday and was formally charged with first-degree murder in the June 11 death of Const. Marc Pinizzotto.
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A 19-year-old suspect in the killing of Toronto police Const. Marc Pinizzotto has been formally charged with first-degree murder after regaining consciousness in the hospital.
Nicholas Bennett was shot and critically injured during a June 11 search-warrant operation at a fourth-floor apartment on Martha Eaton Way in North York. Pinizzotto, a veteran Emergency Task Force member, was fatally shot during the exchange.
Court heard Friday that Bennett is now awake but "still doesn't really understand what is happening," according to his friend-of-the-court lawyer Tonya Kent. He remains hospitalized and is not yet represented by retained counsel. Officers are arranging a video-link setup so he can attend future court appearances remotely.
The warrants were part of a wider investigation into a criminals-for-hire network with alleged links to multiple shootings across Toronto, including the March attack on the U.S. Consulate. Investigators arrested 19-year-old Zara Jabbi at Toronto Pearson airport on Wednesday in connection with the Consulate shooting.