19-year-old who attempted to shoot off-duty Toronto police officer says he’s sorry

A Toronto man who attempted to shoot an off-duty police officer nearly four years ago has expressed deep remorse, telling a judge he thinks about the incident daily and wishes he had made different choices.

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I wrote this letter to express my remorse and the lessons I have learned. What happened is something I think about every day. If I could go back and make different choices, I would.

Abdoul Bah, now 19, pleaded guilty last November to firearms charges, including possession of a loaded firearm and attempted discharge of a firearm. The Crown is seeking a sentence of nine to 10 years, less credit for time served. Assistant Crown attorney Levi Vandersteen emphasized that it was fortunate the handgun jammed, preventing a potential homicide charge.

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I have had time to reflect on my actions. At 19 years old, I was very immature and easily influenced by the wrong crowd. I didn’t think about the consequences of my actions.

"It's fortunate he's not facing a homicide charge, which potentially could have happened," Vandersteen told Superior Court Justice Robert Goldstein. Goldstein agreed, noting the moral culpability was as high as someone who successfully shoots an officer, with consequences lessened only by pure fortune.

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It’s fortunate he’s not facing a homicide charge, which potentially could have happened.

The incident occurred in September 2022 when the off-duty officer, Const. Igor Zdrazhko, was waiting for a pizza in civilian clothes. He encountered two masked individuals in a plaza. The Crown highlighted the severe consequences such acts can have, referencing another officer's death in Quebec and the ongoing fear and trauma experienced by officers' families.

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It’s an agreed fact that he pulled the trigger with the intention to shoot TPS Const. (Igor) Zdrazhko. His moral culpability is as high as anyone who shoots an officer. The consequences by pure fortune are lower.