TORONTO POLICE OFFICER DIES AFTER BEING STRUCK

The death of a York Region police officer killed in the line of duty marks the first time the force has sustained such a loss since 1984, the deputy chief said Thursday.

Deputy Chief Bruce Herridge said Const. Rob Plunkett was killed while attempting to make an arrest following a theft in this city north of Toronto.

Herridge said the death of the veteran member of the special services unit comes as a heavy blow to a force not accustomed to loss.

"It's an organization where we've not lost many officers, but even one is one too many," he said, adding that Plunkett was well-known within the force.

In a statement released through police, Plunkett's family appealed to the media to "respect their privacy as they grieve."

Plunkett's death was being investigated as a possible homicide, and two arrests have been made, Herridge said. A press conference will be held at 4:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

Few details of the incident were immediately available, but unconfirmed media reports suggest Plunkett was deliberately struck and dragged by a car.

On Thursday afternoon, the crime scene was still cordoned off with yellow police tape as the smell of garbage permeated the area, as dozens of garbage cans and recycling bins that had not been collected due to the investigation were grouped just outside the crime scene.

According to some local residents, the crash occurred just before 6 a.m. One man, who didn't want to be named, said he heard two loud bangs outside his window and looked out to see a man bleeding on a lawn across the street.

Police said all flags at police stations in Toronto are being lowered to half mast and will remain there until Plunkett's funeral.

Two people are in custody on Thursday after a York region police officer was killed in the line of duty while making an arrest in Markham, Ont., authorities have confirmed.

Homicide detectives have been called in to investigate.

The police officer, identified as York Regional Police Const. Robert Plunkett, was working undercover when he was either struck or dragged by a moving vehicle as he tried to reach into a driver-side window to apprehend a suspect, sources told CTV Toronto.

The incident happened on Ascot Crescent, in the Birchmount Road and Steeles Avenue area, sometime between 5 and 6 a.m.

Plunkett, 43, worked out of York Region's 5 district, located on McCowan Road. He is a 22-year veteran of the service and was a member of the special services unit, according to a press release issued by police.

Police Chief Armand LaBarge and members of York Regional Police offer their condolences to the family and friends, police said in a statement.

Investigators have roped off two crime scenes in the residential area, one with a suspect vehicle, and are continuing to investigate.

Flags at police stations around the Greater Toronto Area have been lowered to half-mast.

The death is the first killing of a police officer in York region since 1984, when two officers died in the line of duty within weeks.

Const. William Grant was killed instantly on Oct. 9, 1984 when his vehicle was intentionally rammed head-on by the car he was chasing, and Const. Douglas Tribbling died on Aug. 21, 1984 after being shot while responding to a burglar alarm, the Toronto Star reports.

LaBarge is expected to hold a press conference at 4 p.m. to update Thursday's incident