A second person has been charged in relation to a fatal police shooting in downtown Toronto, as police set up a perimeter in an attempt to identify more suspects.
Dozens of officers, in what police described as “large-scale tactical deployments,” had surrounded a building in the predominantly-Italian Riverdale neighbourhood early on Monday morning. They were there after a standoff with a man holding a weapon prompted an extensive search.
Seven people have been arrested in connection with the incident, but more than 100 people were seen running away from the scene and allegedly throwing stones at officers.
The additional charges on Tuesday against a man identified as Yahya Abdalla have included aggravated assault, assaulting police with a weapon, obstructing police, and wearing a disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence.
Abdalla, a 38-year-old Somali-Canadian, was in hospital after being shot by police on Sunday, the Toronto Police Service said in a statement.
Abdalla, believed to be a tenant in the building, was involved in an altercation at around 10:30 p.m. that led to the death of 52-year-old Amario Khasimovic, who had intervened.
Khasimovic had called police to help deal with a “large party” on Sunday night, according to Toronto Police. It is unclear why Abdalla was in the building.
Police recovered a gun at the scene that they say may have been involved in the incident.
Abdalla’s lawyer, Alain Hepner, told CNN he was shocked that the man had been charged with second-degree murder.
“The death of Mr. Khasimovic is what caused a very serious confrontation between police and my client and I think that was for that reason the police shot my client,” Hepner said.
“I do not think he, my client, nor the police intended to kill him,” Hepner added.
CNN’s attempts to reach some of Abdalla’s family members in the Somali-Canadian community have not been successful.
CNN’s Pamela Brown contributed to this report.