Toronto

Toronto police officer charged in 2024 Whitby collision following SIU probe

Ontario's police watchdog has charged a Toronto police officer in relation to a collision in Whitby, Ont., last year.

18-year-old man was seriously injured after being struck by unmarked police vehicle

A Toronto Police Service logo patch is shown on an officer's uniform on Sept. 5, 2023.
A Toronto police officer is facing charges in connection with a collision in Whitby, Ont. that happened in June 2024 following an investigation by Ontario's police watchdog. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

Ontario's police watchdog has charged a Toronto police officer in relation to a collision in Whitby, Ont., last year.

The Special Investigations Unit says on the night of June 25, 2024, Toronto police officers were searching for a man in Whitby.

The watchdog says the man was located while riding on a scooter which was struck by an unmarked Toronto Police Service vehicle in a Canadian Tire parking lot.

They say an 18-year-old man was seriously injured and taken to the hospital after being struck.

As a result of the SIU investigation, Det. Const. Joshua Baksh is facing one count of dangerous driving and one count of assault with a weapon.

The watchdog says Baksh is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in March and will not release any further comment on the investigation while the matter goes before the court.