A senior London police officer has been suspended with pay after a video surfaced that appears to show what Chief Thai Truong said was a service-issued gun “stored in circumstances that raise concerns” after a police funeral in Toronto.
Truong released a statement late Monday stating he was shown a video of London police officers leaving a restaurant in Toronto on June 24, 2026, after a police funeral.
“The video shows a service-issued firearm stored in circumstances that raised concerns,” Truong said in the statement.
The video also appears to show alcohol inside the unmarked police vehicle, the chief said in the statement.
The chief did not identify which funeral the officers attended. But the funeral for veteran Toronto police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was held in Toronto on that date. He was shot to death when the Toronto police emergency task force was executing warrants related to several alleged “gun-for-hire” shootings in the city, including one at the U.S. consulate.
A 19 year-old man is charged with first-degree murder in Pinizzotto’s death.
Truong did not name the London officers under investigation, including the one under suspension, but said he has taken “immediate action” and reported the incident to the Toronto Police Service for investigation “involving the handling and storage of the police firearm.”
Once that investigation is completed, Truong said the London officers face a probe under the Community Safety and Policing Act.
Truong said that at this early stage, the legal criteria for suspending the officer without pay has not been met.
“A suspension with pay should not be interpreted as minimizing the seriousness of the matter,” he said in the statement. “It reflects the legal framework that governs authority of a chief of police at this stage of the proceedings.”
He added that officers “are entrusted with significant authority and responsibilities” that demand high standards. “Those expectations apply to every members of our service and are especially important for those entrusted with leadership responsibilities.”
Truong also said that “every member is entitled to a fair and impartial process” to establish all the facts.
“I will not prejudge their outcome,” he said in the statement, noting he had a responsibility to alert the public and investigate any concerns about officers.
London police board chair Ryan Gauss said the board fully supports Truong’s decision to suspend the officer and request Toronto police conduct an investigation.
“We believe it is appropriate action in response to these allegations, along with his commitment to ensuring these matters are investigated thoroughly with openness, transparency, and fairness,” Gauss wrote in a statement.
“The residents of London expect our police officers to conduct themselves with the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability.”
But the allegations against the officers shouldn’t overshadow the work hundreds of London police officers do every day to serve the community, Gauss added.
Toronto police declined an interview request, referring all inquiries to London police.
London police Sgt. Sandasha Bough said Truong isn’t doing media interviews, citing the ongoing investigation and subsequent internal probe.
“To protect the integrity of both investigations, we are unable to provide any additional details or comment beyond the information already released at this time,” she wrote in an email.