WARMINGTON: Slain Toronto cop's mom 'not suprised' son fired gun even after he was shot
· Toronto Sun
Even with a bullet entering his body that would kill him, Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto kept trying to eliminate the threat against himself and his unit.
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And he succeeded.
The copper known as Pinner was already a legend on the force. With this new information of his courage and commitment, now he’s a policing giant.
Being an ETF cop, she said, was very important to him. And being prepared for any scenario was something, she said, he took very seriously.
“Marc loved people, and he would have protected his ETF teammates and the public,” Linda Pinizzotto said.
SIU cleared cops of any wrongdoing
As Toronto Sun reporter Spiro Papuckoski wrote, the SIU has determined that the officers who shot and wounded a man in an apartment on Martha Eaton Way, as part of a warrant and guns for hire investigation on June 11, were justified in doing so.
But the SIU revealed that even though he was wounded, the 38-year-old ETF officer was still able to get four shots off himself to go with another officer who shot nine times to be able to neutralize the threat.
Nicholas Bennett, 19, was badly wounded in the incident but survived and faces a first-degree-murder charge.
SIU Director Joseph Martino wrote that Pinizzotto, referred to in the report as Officer One, “had taken a step or two when the door to the first bedroom on his right opened and the complainant appeared. From the doorway, the complainant (allegedly) raised his right arm holding a pistol in officer #1’s direction and fired three times. The officer reacted immediately, discharging four rounds from his C8 rifle before collapsing onto his back in the hallway.”
The last thing Pinizzotto did in this world is return fire on his alleged killer and help end the threat on others in the apartment, including civilian women who have been identified as witnesses.
“He was beyond a hero in my books,” said his mom. “That was a very dangerous situation and he helped save so many lives.”
She said “that’s what Marc was all about.”
The well-known GTA relator said her focus now is on the Marc Pinizzotto Foundation to help families in need.
“That will be Marc’s legacy,” she said. “He loved helping kids.”
Pinizzotto also a loving husband and father
Even though he’s known as a rugged police officer, she said, her son was also a loving husband and father and always reminded the officers on his shift to make sure they were enjoying their lives.
“He would do what he could do, to keep it light and make them all laugh,” Linda Pinizzotto said.
She hopes he is remembered for both sides of his personality – and also hopes people drop by the newly rebranded park on Indian Rd. in Mississauga named after her son, whether they want to honour of his sacrifice or just enjoy time with their own families.
“He grew up in that park with his brothers,” she said.
Lovely visit with Linda Pinizzotto this afternoon. Very quiet and nicely planted little park, ten steps from her home, where Constable Marc Pinizzotto will always be remembered and honoured. pic.twitter.com/Vuwh1IgikU
— Mayor Carolyn Parrish (@carolynhparrish) October 8, 2026
His mom sometimes goes there herself.
In fact, Linda Pinizzotta was there on Thursday with Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish to commemorate the new sign. And while she would rather have her son still alive, she is proud with all the support she and his family have received from Toronto Police, Peel Regional Police, the City of Toronto and City of Mississauga, and people all across the country.
“I appreciate all of it,” she said.
It has not been easy for the mom and grandmother since June 11 but, she said, she is grateful the SIU made it clear that not only was her son and his peers not wrong for their measures, they were also heroic.
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