A 色色啦 man who fatally shot his daughter鈥檚 boyfriend and the next day opened fire on responding police officers 鈥 killing a beloved police dog 鈥 was sentenced Tuesday to 14 years in prison.
Superior Court Justice Maureen Forestell said she cannot overstate the gravity of the offences committed by Kenneth Grant, 46, when he fired multiple shots in the direction of officers trying to arrest him for killing Sophonias Haile the previous night.
鈥淧olice officers are a uniquely vulnerable class of victim and by the nature of their work are placed in harm鈥檚 way to protect their community ... an attack on the police is an attack on the rule of law,鈥 Superior Court Justice Maureen Forestell said Tuesday, reading her sentencing reasons in a downtown courtroom.
Moreover, killing a police dog was 鈥渁 cowardly, calculated and callous act towards an innocent animal. It was committed for the sole purpose of escaping apprehension,鈥 the judge said.
色色啦 police service dog Bingo was shot and killed on Tuesday night during a search for a suspect at a home in Etobicoke.
InstagramOn the evening of July 24, 2023, Grant went to his daughter鈥檚 condo, where she was arguing with Haile, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, who had assaulted her a month earlier and threatened her with a gun. Both Grant and Haile were armed. An argument escalated, and Grant removed his firearm and fired four bullets. One hit Haile in the head. He died at the scene, and Grant fled.
The next evening, Det.-Const. Anthony Goulah approached Grant while he was loading his belongings into a vehicle. Grant ran and fired shots in his direction. The officer ducked and wasn鈥檛 injured. The Emergency Task Force and K9 Unit were called in to secure the area and assist in locating and arresting Grant.
Sgt. Brandon Smith led a two-year-old German Shepherd named Bingo in the hunt. The dog discovered Grant hiding inside some trees in the backyard of a home near Kipling Avenue and Dixon Road. Smith was standing behind the tree line holding Bingo鈥檚 lead when Grant fired his pistol. Smith wasn鈥檛 hit, but Bingo was fatally shot in the face. An officer discharged his firearm six times towards Grant, who was shot in the leg and buttocks.
On Friday, dramatic footage from Smith鈥檚 body-worn camera played in court before lawyers presented their joint position that Grant receive a total sentence of 14 years in a federal penitentiary.
Video played in court Friday showed the final moments of Bingo the police dog, who was shot two years ago while in pursuit of a homicide suspect. The footage was taken from the body-worn camera of Bingo's human officer partner.
Superior Court of JusticeForestell agreed it was an appropriate sentence, noting it was particularly aggravating that Grant was in a residential area with a loaded gun, having just shot and killed Haile the day before.
His actions have had a 鈥減rofound, far-reaching, and ongoing impact on victims,鈥 Forestell said.
On Friday, Grant pleaded guilty to manslaughter 鈥 reduced from second-degree murder 鈥 killing a service animal, discharge with intent to prevent arrest, reckless discharge of a firearm and possession of a loaded firearm. Once pre-sentence custody is factored in, Grant has 10 years and 10 months left to serve. He is currently incarcerated at the 色色啦 South Detention Centre, where he watched Tuesday鈥檚 proceedings from a video suite.
During sentencing submissions on Friday, Crown attorney Alice Bradstreet said the consequences of Grant鈥檚 actions extend far beyond the physical harm inflicted.
鈥淭he events that unfolded during Mr. Grant鈥檚 arrest are shocking, brazen and have had a major impact on the lives of the police officers present, the 色色啦 Police Services as a whole, and the City of 色色啦,鈥 she said.
鈥淚n the eyes of the members of the service, Bingo was a police officer like them all,鈥 and officers present that night believed Bingo saved their lives, she said. 鈥淗e was a loyal animal who did not deserve this senseless and tragic death.鈥
On Tuesday, the judge noted there were some mitigating factors in the case.聽
They included that the element of provocation and defence of others existed in the commission of manslaughter, at least at the outset of the conflict, and there was evidence that Grant was distraught and suicidal after killing Haile. He also has family support, has faced significant hurdles in his life, and gets credit for entering guilty pleas and taking responsibility for his crimes.
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