Gun Control is Completely Useless.

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
35,594
2,988
113
Last Wednesday, Toronto Police shot and killed a 70-year-old man. You likely haven’t heard a thing about it.

Part of the reason for that may be that the shooting happened nearly 150 kilometres away on a rural road outside of Port Dover.

Rodger Kotanko was shot once in the neck and three times in the chest. He was later pronounced dead at hospital.


They describe police as executing the search warrant without notice, kicking in the door to Kotanko’s workshop, and opening fire right away.

Kotanko was a renowned gunsmith with clients from across the country, even the United States and Europe. He also looked after guns for members of the local OPP detachment.

In the meantime, locals have a message to Toronto Police: Keep your cops and your crime in the city, and don’t come knocking in Norfolk County anytime soon.
'RECKLESSLY TARGETED': Gunsmith's family sues Toronto Police over shooting death

Rodger Kotanko was killed Nov. 3 as Toronto Police executed a search warrant at his workshop near Port Dover

Author of the article:
Postmedia News
Postmedia News
Monte Sonnenberg
Publishing date:
Jan 18, 2022 • 10 hours ago • 4 minute read •
59 Comments
Jeff Kotanko, brother of slain gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 at Kotanko's home near Port Dover, Ont. Kotanko died of gunshot wounds Nov. 3 after Toronto Police executed a search warrant at the gunsmith's shop at his home.
Jeff Kotanko, brother of slain gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 at Kotanko's home near Port Dover, Ont. Kotanko died of gunshot wounds Nov. 3 after Toronto Police executed a search warrant at the gunsmith's shop at his home. Photo by BRIAN THOMPSON /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Article content

Nine family members of gunsmith Rodger Kotanko filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday against the Toronto Police Service seeking $23 million in damages.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

The 70-year-old Port Ryerse, Ont. man was shot and killed Nov. 3 as Toronto Police executed a search warrant at his workshop west of Port Dover.

In a summary accompanying the statement of claim, Simcoe lawyer Michael Smitiuch alleges “the search warrant was unlawfully executed as it was not presented the day of the raid and was obtained using irrelevant and prejudicial information.

“It’s also alleged that police recklessly targeted Kotanko, negligently planned the raid, and exercised excessive and unjustifiable force when they stormed his home workshop, firing four shots into him. It’s also alleged that the officers unlawfully detained and restrained Kotanko’s wife (Xueqin Mai) and prevented her from providing him with comfort after he was shot and dying.”
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

None of the allegations contained in the statement of claim have been tested in court.

At a recent press conference at the Kotanko residence, Smitiuch complained that the search warrant was not shown at the scene, nor had the family seen its contents. In an interview Monday, Smitiuch said Toronto Police recently furnished the family with a copy.

Smitiuch said Toronto Police acted after seizing two firearms – one in North Bay, the other in Toronto – with serial numbers that had been ground off. Police were able to decipher the missing stamps under forensic analysis and acted after Kotanko was identified as the last legal owner.
OPP officers are pictured outside the home of Norfolk gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, 70, on Nov. 4, 2021. The SIU is investigating after Toronto Police shot and killed Kotanko.
OPP officers are pictured outside the home of Norfolk gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, 70, on Nov. 4, 2021. The SIU is investigating after Toronto Police shot and killed Kotanko. Photo by Postmedia News /Toronto Sun

In the statement-of-claim, the Kotanko family alleges the basis for securing the search warrant was weak. They accuse the Toronto Police Service of damaging Kotanko’s reputation with the revelation that he was charged at age 19 with possession of marijuana for the purposes of trafficking.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

As well, Smitiuch said Kotanko was charged when he was young for making a single-shot flintlock pistol, which is a prohibited firearm in Canada.

The plaintiffs in the civil action are listed as Kotanko’s mother Elinor Kotanko, brother Jeffrey Kotanko, sister Suzanne Kantor, wife Mai, son Conner Kotanko, son Colton Kotanko, sister Charlene Gorham, sister Marilyn Carrie, and daughter Minying Qin.

The defendants are listed as Officers John Doe Nos. 1 through 5, Insp. Norman Proctor, head of the Toronto Police Services’ Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force, Chief James Ramer, head of the Toronto Police Service, and the Toronto Police Services Board.

“The defendants had no reasonable basis for or lawful authority for performing the search warrant upon the premises which results in Rodger’s death,” the statement-of-claim alleges. “The fashion in which the defendants executed the raid was a gross and negligent misuse of power.”
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Highlights of the statement-of-claim, which runs to 32 pages, include:

The lawsuit alleges there was more than $20,000 in a safe in Kotanko’s workshop at the time of the raid. The statement of claim says the money was missing once Toronto police vacated the scene.
The lawsuit says Toronto police had Kotanko’s home under surveillance from Nov. 2 until the search warrant was executed around noon the next day. Toronto police allegedly “increased the likelihood that Rodger would be badly injured (or) killed” by allowing him to enter his shop, where there were guns, after returning home from grocery shopping with his wife. Smitiuch wants to know why police did not apprehend Kotanko in his driveway when he pulled in.
Many want to know the identity of the “alleged customer” who was with Kotanko at the time he was shot. The family says this person – who was unknown to Kotanko – called 10 p.m. the night before to arrange an appointment. Smitiuch says the family has yet to be informed as to the identity of this person. The statement-of-claim alleges police “allowed an alleged customer to be put in harm’s way and potentially interfere with the safe execution of the raid.”
The statement of claim says the police officers involved “were incompetent to carry out the duties of police officers and lacked the reasonable care, skill, ability and training necessary to perform the duties of a police officer and ought not to have been assuming the responsibilities and obligations of their positions. They had a history of violent, uncontrollable rage and had unlawfully assaulted innocent victims before, for which they were previously disciplined.”
The statement of claim alleges the officers listed, along with Proctor, “suffered from psychological and/ or psychiatric problems rendering them unfit to be police officers.”
The statement of claim says Kotanko’s family – as a consequence of the defendants’ actions – has suffered a wide range of psychological symptoms following his death. These include “depression, anxiety, nervousness and irritability, mood disorders, insomnia and sleep disturbances, nightmares and flashbacks.”
The statement of claim criticizes the defendants for allegedly failing to co-ordinate their action with the Norfolk OPP “when they knew or ought to have known that co-ordination would have been beneficial for planning and tactical reasons and would have minimized the potential for harm to Rodger and the officers involved in the raid.”

The statement of claim has been filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

Kotanko’s death is the subject of a probe by the Special Investigations Unit, the civilian agency that investigates police shootings.

Due to that investigation, a Toronto Police spokesperson said that, while they have received the statement of claim, it would be inappropriate to comment.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
22,737
7,718
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
I only know what’s in the link above. Yes there’s going to be an internal investigation from what I’ve read, and it’s super closed mouth.

The highlights are:
1) the Toronto Police preformed a no notice warrant ‘cuz the guy had a licence for guns
2) this happened 150kms from Toronto in Port Dover
3) the Toronto Police didn’t inform the local police force that this was happening
4) the 70yr old guy was a gunsmith. He was in his shop with a customer when the police came through the door unannounced & shot him 4 times. Once in the neck & three times in the chest. This guy was the gunsmith for the local members of the OPP, who also where not informed this ‘search’ was happening…
5) if this 70yr old, working in his gunsmith shop, as a gunsmith, with a customer present, had a firearm, or part of a firearm, in his proximity, would that have been out of place or threatening under the circumstances?

I only quoted part of the story at the link. It’s worth a read through the link itself.
Read about this one a while back.

So this 70 year old gunsmith, as a teenager, built a flintlock pistol, and smoked dope as a teenager in the ‘60’s. Then continued to be a gunsmith for the next 50+ years. Sounds like a monster that deserved to be put down.

The two firearms with filed off serial#’s found in Toronto that they traced back to this guy is new info, but so it the $20,000 that was in the safe before the raid & missing after it.

Still curious why the Toronto Police did this raid, 2 hours outside Toronto in Port Dover, & why the local law enforcement in Port Dover wasn’t informed that this was happening??
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
22,737
7,718
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
Kotanko’s death is the subject of a probe by the Special Investigations Unit, the civilian agency that investigates police shootings.

Due to that investigation, a Toronto Police spokesperson said that, while they have received the statement of claim, it would be inappropriate to comment??

Except about the charge for this gunsmith building a flintlock pistol in his youth, & a 51 year old marijuana charge?

(I wonder how many crimes have been committed in Canada in the last century with a flintlock pistol?)
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
35,594
2,988
113
Jury rejects Sarah Palin's claim against N.Y. Times, agreeing with judge
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jody Godoy and Jonathan Stempel
Publishing date:Feb 15, 2022 • 12 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
Sarah Palin, 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor, arrives for her defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, at the United States Courthouse in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., February 15, 2022. REUTERS
Sarah Palin, 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor, arrives for her defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, at the United States Courthouse in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., February 15, 2022. REUTERS PHOTO BY SHANNON STAPLETON /REUTERS
Article content
NEW YORK — A U.S. jury on Tuesday ruled against Sarah Palin in her libel lawsuit accusing the New York Times of defaming her in a 2017 editorial that incorrectly linked her to a mass shooting, after the presiding judge already had said he would dismiss the case regardless of the verdict.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
The nine-person jury in Manhattan federal court needed about two days to unanimously conclude that the Times was not liable to Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate.

Palin is expected to appeal.

Her case is considered a major test of libel protections for American media under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment free press guarantee and under a landmark 1964 U.S. Supreme Court decision, New York Times v Sullivan.

That decision established an “actual malice” standard for public figures like Palin to prove defamation, meaning that media knowingly published false information or had a reckless disregard for the truth.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said Palin had not met that “very high” standard, even as he faulted the Times for “very unfortunate editorializing” in “America’s Lethal Politics,” the editorial Palin challenged.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
He said letting the jurors reach a verdict could avoid complications should Palin appeal.

Rakoff told the jury about his planned dismissal only after they had finished deliberations.

“We reached the same bottom line, but on different grounds,” he told jurors. “You decided the facts. I decided the law.”

The trial lasted nine days.

“We are obviously disappointed with the verdict. We are obviously disappointed with yesterday’s order,” Palin’s lawyer Kenneth Turkel told reporters outside the courthouse.

He said Palin would evaluate all options for an appeal, as she attempts to “seek redress against a giant media company that wields so much power.”

Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said the newspaper welcomed the verdict, which like Rakoff’s ruling recognized the importance of not punishing news media for unintended mistakes that are quickly corrected.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
“It is gratifying that the jury and the judge understood the legal protections for the news media and our vital role in American society,” she said.

DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH

Palin, 58, viewed the case in biblical terms, testifying on Feb. 10 that she considered herself the underdog to the Times’ Goliath.

She sued the Times and its former editorial page editor James Bennet over a June 14, 2017, editorial that incorrectly linked her to a January 2011 mass shooting in Arizona that killed six people and wounded Democratic U.S. congresswoman Gabby Giffords.

It was written after a gunman opened fire at a congressional baseball practice in Virginia, wounding several people including Republican U.S. congressman Steve Scalise.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
The editorial referred to a map circulated by Palin’s political action committee before the Arizona shooting that put the districts of Giffords and 19 other Democrats under cross hairs.

Bennet added to a colleague’s draft that “the link to political incitement was clear,” though there was no evidence the map motivated the gunman.

The Times corrected the editorial the next morning after readers and one of its columnists complained.

Bennet testified that he did not intend to harm Palin and felt terrible about the mistake.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

Sarah Palin, 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor, arrives for her defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, at the United States Courthouse in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., February 14, 2022.
Judge will dismiss Sarah Palin case against N.Y. Times regardless of jury verdict
Former hockey hunk Ron Duguay has a new main squeeze: Sarah Palin.
Who’s tailin’ Sarah Palin? Rangers legend Ron Duguay, that’s who
Sarah Palin is questioned by New York Times lawyer David Axelrod during her defamation lawsuit trial against the New York Times, at the U.S. Courthouse in the Manhattan borough of New York City, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.
Sarah Palin testifies she felt ‘powerless’ against New York Times

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
Bennet maintained that he added the language while under deadline pressure, thinking that the growth of “highly charged political rhetoric” could prompt such incidents.

Two conservative Supreme Court justices, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, have called for the 1964 Sullivan decision to be reconsidered. There is no guarantee the high court will eventually take Palin’s case.

Palin, a prominent conservative, was the late Senator John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 presidential election and served as Alaska’s governor from 2006 to 2009.

She said the Times editorial left her feeling “powerless” and “mortified,” but during her testimony did not offer specific examples about how it hurt her reputation or caused her harm.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
22,737
7,718
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the Liberal government will soon introduce new gun-control legislation.

Mendicino told the House of Commons public safety committee Tuesday the bill will be “very proactive,” though he did not provide specifics on timing or elements of the legislation.

 

pgs

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 29, 2008
26,513
6,910
113
B.C.
OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the Liberal government will soon introduce new gun-control legislation.

Mendicino told the House of Commons public safety committee Tuesday the bill will be “very proactive,” though he did not provide specifics on timing or elements of the legislation.

That’s the guy that said people were getting raped throughout the freedom rally .
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
35,594
2,988
113
Gunsmith's family 'shocked' Toronto police cleared in shooting death: lawyer
A Toronto police officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing in connection with the shooting death of Port Dover gunsmith Rodger Kotanko last fall.

Author of the article:Monte Sonnenberg • Simcoe Reformer
Publishing date:Mar 03, 2022 • 10 hours ago • 4 minute read • 7 Comments
Gunsmith Roger Kotanko was fatally shot Nov. 3 by a Toronto police officer in the workshop of his home near Port Dover. The Special Investigations Unit has cleared the officer in the shooting death.
Gunsmith Roger Kotanko was fatally shot Nov. 3 by a Toronto police officer in the workshop of his home near Port Dover. The Special Investigations Unit has cleared the officer in the shooting death.
Article content
A Toronto police officer has been cleared of wrongdoing in the shooting death of a Port Dover gunsmith last fall.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
Cann raises nearly $35 million as it launches in Canada

Trackerdslogo
In a report on the incident Thursday, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit said Rodger Kotanko grabbed a pistol and pointed it at two Toronto police officers as they searched his shop on Port Ryerse Road on Nov. 3. SIU director Joseph Martino said the officer who shot Kotanko acted in self-defence.

Based on the SIU investigation into Kotanko’s death, Martino said there “are no reasonable grounds to believe that a Toronto Police Service officer committed a criminal offence.”

The incident upset and alarmed many in the local area. Signs have appeared in Port Dover and elsewhere demanding justice for Kotanko.

The Kotanko family has retained Simcoe lawyer Michael Smitiuch of Smitiuch Injury Law to represent them. He said the family is disappointed by the SIU’s conclusion.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
“The family is shocked and saddened by the findings,” Smitiuch said in a statement.

“The Kotanko family is taking time to review and absorb the report and try to understand how a customer’s life could be endangered and Rodger killed without a single police officer taking any responsibility.”

The province’s Special Investigations Unit has cleared a Toronto police officer of wrongdoing in the death of Norfolk gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, 70. Kotanko was shot and killed Nov. 3 at his shop located at his property on Port Ryerse Road. (File photo)
The province’s Special Investigations Unit has cleared a Toronto police officer of wrongdoing in the death of Norfolk gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, 70. Kotanko was shot and killed Nov. 3 at his shop located at his property on Port Ryerse Road. (File photo)
Smitiuch recently launched a $23-million wrongful death lawsuit against Toronto police, member officers, and the Toronto police services board on behalf of the family.

In a news release, the SIU said the Toronto officers attended Kotanko’s shop as part of an investigation into firearms trafficking. Toronto police allege two handguns seized in Thunder Bay and Toronto were last legally registered to Kotanko.

“Two officers went to Mr. Kotanko’s workshop, where the door was open, and identified themselves as police,” the SIU says.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
“Inside was Mr. Kotanko and a customer. The officers told them to raise their hands. The customer complied, but Mr. Kotanko did not, despite multiple commands.

“Within seconds of their entry, Mr. Kotanko reached with his right hand toward the workbench, retrieved a firearm, and pointed it at the officers as they yelled at him to drop the gun. He did not. The subject official shot Mr. Kotanko four times.”

Martino concludes no charges are warranted because in his estimation the officer acted in self-defence.

“For reasons unknown, Mr. Kotanko ignored the officers’ direction to raise his hands, picked up a firearm, refused to drop it, and pointed the gun at the officers.

“In the result, there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the force used by the subject official was not legally justified.”

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
Members of Toronto’s firearms enforcement unit sought a search warrant last fall after handguns registered to Kotanko’s business turned up in two separate criminal investigations. One of these investigations, the SIU report says, involved a kidnapping.

The serial numbers on the handguns had been ground off but were retrieved through deep forensic analysis. Given that the handguns were last registered to Kotanko’s business and had not been reported stolen, Toronto police concluded Kotanko may have sold them illegally.

Key to the SIU probe was the testimony of an unnamed customer who Kotanko’s family says called the gunsmith 10 p.m. the night before the raid to arrange an appointment for a repair.

The customer, the SIU says, “had recently purchased a Norinco 1911-A1 compact .45 calibre pistol and had brought it in to the complainant (Kotanko) for a repair. His intention had been to drop it off and return for it later, but the complainant convinced him to wait as the repair would only take about 15 minutes.”

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
The customer, the SIU says, “provided the complainant (Kotanko) the gun in a gun case, and observed as the complainant performed the repair. The complainant was putting the pistol together again – the magazine had not been re-inserted in the firearm but it looked like a complete gun – when he heard sound from behind him.

That sound, the SIU says, “was made by Toronto police, who reportedly called out ‘Police, search warrant’ and ‘Put your hands up’ as they neared and entered the workshop’s pedestrian door.”

The customer, the SIU said, “surmised that it was the police and raised his hands.

“With their guns drawn, the (two officers) quickly turned their attention to the complainant (Kotanko) seated by a workbench to the left of the pedestrian door.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
“The complainant (Kotanko) did not raise his hands at the officers’ repeated direction. Within seconds of their entry, he reached with his right hand toward the workbench, retrieved (the customer’s) firearm, and turned with it in the officers’ direction as they yelled at him to ‘Drop the gun.’

“The (subject officer) fired his gun – a Glock .40 calibre semi-automatic – four times in rapid succession, striking the complainant and knocking him off his chair onto his back. The time was about 12:15 p.m.”

Jeff Kotanko, brother of slain gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 at Kotanko’s home near Port Dover. Kotanko was fatally shot Nov. 3 by a Toronto police officer while police attempted to search the gunsmith’s shop at his home. (Brian Thompson/Postmedia Network)
Jeff Kotanko, brother of slain gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 at Kotanko’s home near Port Dover. Kotanko was fatally shot Nov. 3 by a Toronto police officer while police attempted to search the gunsmith’s shop at his home. (Brian Thompson/Postmedia Network)
The SIU reports Kotanko was shot in the head, torso and hand. He was declared dead in hospital an hour after the confrontation.

The SIU reports the customer was led out of the shop, placed on the ground, and handcuffed. He was later released.

The SIU assigned five investigators to the case. Kotanko’s wife Jessie is listed in the SIU report as a potential witness. The SIU says she declined to be interviewed as part of the investigation.

The officer who shot and killed Kotanko also declined to co-operate with the SIU probe, as is his legal right. He also did not submit his notes.

msonnenberg@postmedia.com
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
35,594
2,988
113
LILLEY: SIU report reveals potential hard truths about slain gunsmith
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Mar 06, 2022 • 10 hours ago • 3 minute read • 50 Comments
Gunsmith Roger Kotanko was fatally shot Nov. 3 by a Toronto police officer in the workshop of his home near Port Dover. The Special Investigations Unit has cleared the officer in the shooting death.
Gunsmith Roger Kotanko was fatally shot Nov. 3 by a Toronto police officer in the workshop of his home near Port Dover. The Special Investigations Unit has cleared the officer in the shooting death.
Article content
The shooting death of 15-year-old Caden Francis on Antrim Crescent in Scarborough’s Dorset Park neighbourhood is a long way from the tiny hamlet of Port Ryrse on Lake Erie. But when Toronto Police attempted to arrest 70-year-old gunsmith Rodger Kotanko in that small town last November, it was all tied back to the murder of Francis.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
Police believed that the gun used to shoot Francis had been trafficked by Kotanko. When they arrived to arrest him, Kantnako ended up shot by police, dying on his workshop floor rather than facing the justice system, according to a report released by the Special Investigations Unit.

Toronto Police were cleared by the SIU in the shooting last week and now details are emerging as to what actually happened.

In the aftermath of the shooting, police officers were accused by friends and neighbours of Kotanko of bursting in and shooting without warning. There were claims that police had set Kotanko up with a fake customer to lure him in. That Toronto Police had travelled to Port Ryrse with their own ambulance and had failed to inform the local OPP detachment that they were executing a warrant.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
It appears much of what was initially reported wasn’t true.

Toronto Police did inform OPP that they were executing a search warrant. The vehicle they brought with them from Toronto was a prisoner transport vehicle rather than an ambulance. The shooting of Kotanko also happened much differently than originally portrayed, according to the SIU report and discussions with police sources.

Caden Francis, 16, was fatally shot on July 3, 2021.
Caden Francis, 16, was fatally shot on July 3, 2021. PHOTO BY SUPPLIED /FAMILY
“The officers called out, ‘Police, search warrant,’ and, ‘Put your hands up,’ as they neared and entered the workshop’s pedestrian door,” the SIU report stated.

While the customer standing with Kotanko did put his hands up, the report said that Kotanko reached for a pistol on his workbench “and turned with it in the officers’ direction as they yelled at him to ‘drop the gun.’”

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
The SIU report says he didn’t drop the gun which saw the officer in question fire four shots. Attempts at CPR didn’t save Rodger Kotanko that day.

In the end, it seems the gun was unloaded, which makes this look like what is often called “suicide by cop.”

“The family is shocked and saddened by the findings,” lawyer Michael Smitiuch said on behalf of the Kotanko family in response to the SIU report.

They plan to hold another news conference on Tuesday at the family home to fully respond and make their case.

The family has denied any wrongdoing and believe Toronto police officers should be held accountable. Family, friends and business partners who have spoken to the Sun over the past several months have painted the picture of a well-respected man who even worked on the firearms of local police officers.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
Jeff Kotanko, brother of slain gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 at Kotanko’s home near Port Dover, Ont. Kotanko died of gunshot wounds Nov. 3 after Toronto Police executed a search warrant at the gunsmith’s shop at his home. POSTMEDIA NETWORK FILES
Jeff Kotanko, brother of slain gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 at Kotanko’s home near Port Dover, Ont. Kotanko died of gunshot wounds Nov. 3 after Toronto Police executed a search warrant at the gunsmith’s shop at his home. POSTMEDIA NETWORK FILES PHOTO BY BRIAN THOMPSON /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Toronto Police paint a different picture.

Whatever Kotanko’s many positive qualities, they say that he had turned to milling the serial numbers off guns in his shop’s inventory and selling them. Two have shown up at crime scenes, four are unaccounted for and police say they were never reported lost or stolen by Kotanko.

In addition to the handgun used to kill Francis last summer, police recovered another used by a Toronto man in an alleged kidnapping and extorsion case in Thunder Bay. In both cases, Toronto Police were able to recover the serial numbers they say Kotanko had removed and link them back to him.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

Caden Francis, 16, was fatally shot on July 3, 2021.
Boy, 15, charged with first-degree murder in Caden Francis shooting
Caden Francis, 16.
A family mourns a slain teenager and an 'A' student
OPP officers are pictured outside the home of Norfolk gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, 70, on Nov. 4, 2021. The SIU is investigating after Toronto Police shot and killed Kotanko.
LILLEY: We deserve answers about police shooting of 70-year-old man

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
Had they executed the warrant and arrested Kotanko without incident last November, police expected to be charging his with criminal negligence causing death. Now they’re left trying to piece together the holes in their theory that Kotanko, seeing the ability to make quick money, had sold his guns to criminals.

OPP officers are pictured outside the home of Norfolk gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, 70, on Nov. 4, 2021. The SIU is investigating after Toronto Police shot and killed Kotanko.
OPP officers are pictured outside the home of Norfolk gunsmith Rodger Kotanko, 70, on Nov. 4, 2021. The SIU is investigating after Toronto Police shot and killed Kotanko. PHOTO BY POSTMEDIA NEWS /Toronto Sun
With Rodger Kontanko dead, we may never know the full details of how guns registered to him and his business ended up at crime scenes. We will never know why he may have picked up a gun and pointed it at police officers rather than putting his hands up.

If the SIU’s findings are accurate then all we know for sure is that his decisions, his actions, have led to several tragedies, including his own death.

With four guns unaccounted for from Kotanko’s stockpile, police worry there will be a future tragedy like the one that befell Caden Francis.