Gunsmith shot by police Ontario

pavilion · #1 11-04-2021, 03:08 PM

https://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ne...ighbour-says-2

PORT RYERSE – Witnesses, neighbours and friends have identified a Norfolk man killed in an interaction with Toronto police this week as gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, 70.

Mark Donnell of Simcoe, a life-long friend of Kotanko’s, arrived at the scene with a friend around noon Wednesday minutes after a shooting occurred at Kotanko’s home at 467 Port Ryerse Road immediately north of Highway 6.

Man shot in police incident was gunsmith, neighbour says
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Neither police nor the Special Investigations Unit have released the man’s name but an online search indicates Kotanko was associated with the residence.

Donnell said he and his friend had plans to go hunting in a bush beside Kotanko’s property. As he pulled up, Donnell said he noticed a heavy police presence in the area.

Thursday morning, Donnell said he watched paramedics wheel Kotanko out of the home on a stretcher. Donnell said paramedics were performing CPR as they did so. A friend of the Kotanko family, Donnell said he has it from “a reliable source” that Kotanko was shot once in the neck and three times in the chest.

Donnell said Kotanko’s wife Jessie was in the front yard, distraught, crying and yelling her husband’s name.

“I wanted to go see her,” Donnell said. “But they wouldn’t let me. Police told me very unpolitely to leave. I watched them bring him out on a stretcher. Then they kicked me out.”

In a social media post on Wednesday, Toronto police said officers were executing a firearms search warrant at the time of the shooting.

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) shared details of the incident Wednesday night.

“At about 12:04 p.m., in the course of Toronto Police Service officers executing a search warrant, shots were fired near a residence in the area of Highway 6 and Highway 24,” an SIU news release said. “One man is deceased.”

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The SIU is called to investigate anytime a civilian in Ontario is injured or killed during an interaction with police. The SIU says three investigators and two forensic experts have been assigned to the case.

In a follow-up email Thursday, SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette said the interaction involved members of the Toronto police service. She said the Norfolk OPP were not involved.

Denette added a post mortem was conducted Thursday morning. Denette says a “subject official” has been identified for the pending investigation along with “three witness officials.”

Fraser Pringle lives a couple doors down from the Kotanko residence. He and Kotanko have known each other for years, Pringle said.

“They shot a gunsmith,” Pringle said Thursday. “You have to put that in there. He has guns because he’s a gunsmith. He had a customer with him too. That’s what Rodger has always done. He was a gunsmith. He kept to himself. He was harmless.”

Dan Nagy, owner of Eli’s Guns and Archery in Simcoe, was stunned to learn of Kotanko’s death. In an email Thursday, Nagy said Kotanko was a friend and a mentor.

“Rodger was instrumental in teaching me my trade of gunsmithing,” Nagy said. “Everyone in the firearms community will mourn his loss. He was well-known and a well-respected community member and always under-charged his customers for the work he did.

“Those who knew Rodger knew he was as threatening as a toothless puppy or a declawed kitten. This situation causes great concern for all legal firearm owners.”

Donnell said Kotanko had expertise in the care and upkeep of both long arms and handguns. He said Kotanko occasionally did work for members of the Norfolk OPP.

.264 Win Mag · #2 11-04-2021, 03:13 PM

It will be very interesting to see if any more details come out about this story. Seems like he was a well respected nice guy.

Scott N · #3 11-04-2021, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by .264 Win Mag

It will be very interesting to see if any more details come out about this story. Seems like he was a well respected nice guy.

I agree.... something about this doesn't add up.

averagejoe · #4 11-04-2021, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by .264 Win Mag

It will be very interesting to see if any more details come out about this story. Seems like he was a well respected nice guy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott N

I agree.... something about this doesn't add up.

Quote:

In a social media post on Wednesday, Toronto police said officers were executing a firearms search warrant at the time of the shooting.

Given it was the Toronto police doing it they probably sent a tactical/SWAT team and went in absolutely wired on adrenaline and loaded for bear rather than a polite knock at the door saying they had a search warrant.

The person said there was a customer with him at the time. So perhaps the police burst in, saw a gun in his hands and opened fire?

I sure hope they were wearing body cameras because you know they will all be given time to get their stories straight before they have to submit anything.

silver lab · #5 11-04-2021, 03:49 PM

He has a gun!! Shoot him!!! What more would we expect from Toronto Police?

catnthehat · #6 11-04-2021, 03:54 PM

All we know here is that he was a gunsmith , and that he also did work for the police, nothing more.
it will be interesting to hear the facts when they come out.
Cat

58thecat · #7 11-04-2021, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

All we know here is that he was a gunsmith , and that he also did work for the police, nothing more.
it will be interesting to hear the facts when they come out.
Cat

Exactly

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barbless · #8 11-04-2021, 04:15 PM

Heart felt condolences go out to his wife and family. Did the Toronto Police not know he was a gunsmith? Has he ever caused any problems? Maybe after the investigation we shall find the truth.

Twisted Canuck · #9 11-04-2021, 04:19 PM

Apparently they had a no knock warrant. But the bigger question is what were Toronto Police doing there? No jurisdiction there as far as I know...anyone who knows better please jump in, but I thought it was OPP who would have to be involved.

A 70 year old gunsmith in his own home with wife and customer present sure poses an existential threat to public safety though.

I'm going to just throw this out, that by the time the facts come out and an inquiry is done, years will have passed and people will have forgotten the whole thing.

Remember that guy in Nova Scotia who shot all those people, what was his name? When the RCMP sent out a warning by Twitter and shot up a fire station?

Yeah. People barely remember that, and the inquiry is still ongoing.

calgarychef · #10 11-04-2021, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

All we know here is that he was a gunsmith , and that he also did work for the police, nothing more.
it will be interesting to hear the facts when they come out.
Cat

“Facts” as they are reported, not perhaps as they happened.

Oldan Grumpi · #11 11-04-2021, 07:05 PM

Well, c'mon guys, be reasonable. You have to 'give things time' so the involved parties manage to get to retirement with a full pensionmayerthorpehighriver....

catnthehat · #12 11-04-2021, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calgarychef

“Facts” as they are reported, not perhaps as they happened.

Right, so people posting crap about what they THINK happened as in the ERT went in wired for sound and shot the guy is more realistic?
My Lord how deep this place has sunk....
Cat

RandyBoBandy · #13 11-04-2021, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Apparently they had a no knock warrant. But the bigger question is what were Toronto Police doing there? No jurisdiction there as far as I know...anyone who knows better please jump in, but I thought it was OPP who would have to be involved.

A 70 year old gunsmith in his own home with wife and customer present sure poses an existential threat to public safety though.

I'm going to just throw this out, that by the time the facts come out and an inquiry is done, years will have passed and people will have forgotten the whole thing.

Remember that guy in Nova Scotia who shot all those people, what was his name? When the RCMP sent out a warning by Twitter and shot up a fire station?

Yeah. People barely remember that, and the inquiry is still ongoing.

If you want an INCREDIBLE account about that scenario listen to this podcast. It is riveting. I Listened to it on CHED over a few weeks. The name was Wortman

Guys, this so worth listening to :https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcas...e/id1535831360

glen moa · #14 11-04-2021, 07:59 PM

Why did they have a no knock warrant?

Ken07AOVette · #15 11-04-2021, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glen moa

Why did they have a no knock warrant?

you think someone here is with TPD?

Generally it means there is either a 911 call from someone in the house or from someone close by stating there is imminent danger or threat to life, they have been called there many times before and the 'suspect' is well known to the Officers

Or any of another hundred reasons but most generally are the reasons noted

fordtruckin · #16 11-04-2021, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by .264 Win Mag

It will be very interesting to see if any more details come out about this story. Seems like he was a well respected nice guy.

Nice well respected people can and do make bad decisions that have serious consequences. Hold off judgement on all sides until the all facts are out.

Twisted Canuck · #17 11-04-2021, 09:26 PM

Police statement said they were executing a firearms search warrant, SIU described it as a raid, which would confirm they didn't knock when executing warrant. Toronto Police were involved, not local PD.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/...rea-beach-town

.264 Win Mag · #18 11-05-2021, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Nice well respected people can and do make bad decisions that have serious consequences. Hold off judgement on all sides until the all facts are out.

I don’t disagree with this but so can certain people in uniform. I have trouble believing if his wife and a customer where there that he was a threat. I could very well be wrong but something stinks, and the longer it takes to investigate and have “facts” come out the stronger the smell. Just my 2 cents.

Scott N · #19 11-05-2021, 03:34 AM

I wonder if the police would have body mounted cameras on an operation like this. At first whiff, something smells fishy on this.

North40Rules · #20 11-05-2021, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyBoBandy

If you want an INCREDIBLE account about that scenario listen to this podcast. It is riveting. I Listened to it on CHED over a few weeks. The name was Wortman

Guys, this so worth listening to :https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcas...e/id1535831360

Thanks for the link RBB. I turned off all Canadian Television and Canadian Fake News years ago so I did not even know that happened, really horrible! Of course, Trudeau would put his neurotic banning weapons liberal agenda into warp speed because of this disgusting human being's actions.

Did you know that Trudeau was a part-time white water rafting guide before becoming our PM? That should comfort everyone knowing that we have a professional to "Take Us Down The River"

58thecat · #21 11-05-2021, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Right, so people posting crap about what they THINK happened as in the ERT went in wired for sound and shot the guy is more realistic?
My Lord how deep this place has sunk....
Cat

Again....exactly.

elkhunter11 · #22 11-05-2021, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

All we know here is that he was a gunsmith , and that he also did work for the police, nothing more.
it will be interesting to hear the facts when they come out.
Cat

Very true, but the sad fact is that we may never know the truth, we may hear the media spin on what happened, and then again, we may not even hear much from the media about this.

barsik · #23 11-05-2021, 08:35 AM

I'd like to know if the customer has made any kind of a statement.

Redhorse Ranch · #24 11-05-2021, 08:41 AM

Is this a repeat of the Marstar case? Law enforcement seems to attract some heavy hands lately.

North40Rules · #25 11-05-2021, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barsik

I'd like to know if the customer has made any kind of a statement.

First statement "Damit, I need a new gunsmith!"?

Ackleyman · #26 11-05-2021, 08:44 AM

100 % speculation until the facts are presented.
If i was home and someone booted my front door in carrying a weapon i would probably put a hole in him....did he shoot ? We don't know.

gramps73 · #27 11-05-2021, 09:26 AM

my condolences to the family

the facts are the facts but I don't think that we will even know the truth about what happened unless it becomes main stream with the media.
I would like to hear the costumers side of the story for sure.

dmac · #28 11-05-2021, 10:01 AM

What’s curious to me is the location of the shooting. About two hours from Toronto. Wonder why Toronto police were there and not a local police force?

WolfmanAB · #29 11-05-2021, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redhorse Ranch

Is this a repeat of the Marstar case? Law enforcement seems to attract some heavy hands lately.

Yes. They were following him around with full auto MP5s with safeties off in the snow (with ice abounding) and one slip..... fortunately didn't occur.

This old gentleman was well regarded, a stroke survivor and was a good retailer.

Mulehahn · #30 11-05-2021, 12:14 PM

There is a bunch of questions they don't seem to want to answer. Why are they not releasing the name; next of kin obviously notified? Why was Toronto PD operating way outside their jurisdiction? Often they will hold a press conference to announce what they were looking for, even if police shooting was involved.

The lack of basic information is what is leading to speculation and theories. And makes the doubts that the truth will ever come out more plausible.