Toronto police seek man in consulate shooting, separate officer death investigation ongoing

A 19-year-old man, Zara Jabbi, is wanted by Toronto police in connection with a shooting incident at the United States consulate in downtown Toronto and a vehicle theft that occurred earlier this year. A warrant obtained by Global News alleges that Jabbi stole a vehicle on March 10 and subsequently fired a handgun at the U.S. consulate building on University Avenue.

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did commit a violent attack on the official premises of an internationally protected person, namely Consul General Baxter Hunt, that was likely to endanger the life or liberty of such a person.

The charges also include an allegation that Jabbi "did commit a violent attack on the official premises of an internationally protected person, namely Consul General Baxter Hunt, that was likely to endanger the life or liberty of such a person." While Jabbi is wanted for the consulate shooting, he is not being sought in relation to the death of the Toronto police officer who was killed during a raid on Thursday. For that incident, 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett has been charged with first-degree murder.

U.S. prosecutors have linked the shooting at the consulate to an individual they believed was associated with the Iranian regime and allegedly had connections to attacks across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw stated that officers were executing multiple search warrants related to the consulate shooting after 5 a.m. on Thursday when gunshots were heard.

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The Emergency Task Force is a very highly trained, heavily armed tactical unit, much like you’d see on television with SWAT teams, and they are used for high-risk situations, especially the execution of search warrants.

Global News' crime expert and former Toronto police officer Hank Idsinga explained that executing warrants in such a manner requires special permission. "The Emergency Task Force is a very highly trained, heavily armed tactical unit... and they are used for high-risk situations, especially the execution of search warrants," Idsinga said. He noted that warrants typically must be executed during daytime hours unless justification is provided for executing them outside of normal hours, indicating these were very high-risk warrants.

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Search warrants, normally in Canada, have to be executed during daytime hours, unless you can justify why they’re not. These search warrants obviously were being executed outside of daytime hours, so they’re very high-risk warrants.

The Special Investigations Unit reported that a 19-year-old was inside a unit on the fourth floor of an apartment building when he allegedly shot at an officer. A second officer then returned fire, hitting the suspect multiple times. Bennett was arrested and charged on Thursday. Police have urged Jabbi, who is considered armed and dangerous, to turn himself in. They advise the public not to approach him if seen and to call 911 immediately.

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He is wanted in connection with the March shooting at the U.S. Consulate and is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach. Call 911 immediately.