2023 TACTICAL DEBRIEFS

The Emergency Task Force received a request to assist with the exigent seizure of two apartments in relation to an ongoing missing person investigation, that through investigation, had become a homicide investigation.  Two apartments had been identified as being of extreme importance to the investigation; the apartment where it was believed the victim had been killed and dismembered, along with the apartment where the victim’s estranged boyfriend resided.   These units were on the same floor of the same building.

Special Weapons Team 6 conducted simultaneous breach and holds.  The team members who were executing a breach and hold at the apartment where the estranged boyfriend resided were ambushed by the estranged boyfriend, who was armed with two edged weapons, immediately upon executing their tactical plan. 

The estranged boyfriend was shot and killed as a result of his interaction with SWT6.

Gerry has 24 years of policing experience with 11 years Tactical Policing at the Emergency Task Force.  He has an extensive investigative background with 5 years served in the Drug Squad, 4 years in Major Projects - Organized Crime Enforcement, and 20 years experience as an undercover operator from the CISO pool.  Gerry is currently a Gun Team Sergeant on SWT3 at the ETF.   

Gerry will present on the increasing demand from investigative units for Discreet Tactical Operational Support.  This will cover current trends in the Tactical Community involving undercover overwatch and immediate tactical response, vehicle interdictions, crowds, target identification, ballistics when shooting into a vehicle, and much more.  Gerry currently runs a Special Weapons Team and coordinates the DTO program at the ETF. 

In January 2017, Justice G. Paul Renwick was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. His Honour’s appointment came after 22 years as a prosecutor in Peel, York Region, and the Attorney General’s Guns and Gangs Initiative in Toronto, where he spent the last 12 years before becoming a judge.  

Justice Renwick has completed his Master of Laws degree, he has been published in a peer-reviewed, academic journal, and he has contributed a chapter in a legal text used nation-wide by secondary school students. 

Notwithstanding all of his professional accomplishments and volunteer work, His Honour wants you to know that his proudest achievement is becoming a father to an amazing daughter.  

Lawrence Gridin is a partner in the Criminal Law Group at Brauti Thorning LLP in Toronto. His practice is focussed on police defence work. He has represented hundreds of police officers throughout Ontario on criminal charges, PSA charges, at Coroner’s inquests, and during complaint investigations. He regularly works with tactical officers in responding to SIU and OIPRD investigations in the context of dynamic entries. Lawrence was co-counsel on the Cavanagh case, which involved a Toronto Emergency Task Force officer charged by the SIU with second degree murder during a dynamic entry. Lawrence and his co-counsel Peter Brauti were successful in having all allegations dismissed at the preliminary inquiry, and were successful in defending the result against two Crown appeals.

This presentation offers a unique approach to the common challenges faced by both new and veteran Team Leaders, Sergeants, SWAT Commanders, as well as Critical Incident Commanders. Based on personal experiences, the instructor will relate challenges and recommendations specifically those in a SWAT Team Leader/Sergeant/Command role. Topics that are often overlooked, taken for granted, or rarely taught will be presented. This informative session is very applicable to team leaders and others in a supervisor or leadership position on a SWAT Team.

Major Theodore Golden - Bio

Ted Golden began his law enforcement career in 2003 with the DeKalb County Police Department in Decatur, Georgia. He joined the force after his football career ended with the New York Giants. Ted also played football at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and later earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration. Ted joined DeKalb's SWAT Team in 2006. He is an instructor in Less Lethal, FSDD, and Chemical Agents. In 2013, Ted was promoted to SWAT Team Assistant Commander and in 2015 to SWAT Team Commander.

Marc and Ken will be presenting a debrief of the tactical deployment for Project SABIN. This Integrated National Security Enforcement Team project was a year long Terrorist Financing investigation that began in 2021, involving the FBI and the RCMP.

Marc Kyle started his policing career in 2002 with Peel Regional Police.  He began his time in the Tactical and Rescue Unit in 2004, going full time in 2007.  He was a breacher, sniper, rappel master, team leader and training coordinator.  In 2020, he patched over to the RCMP and joined O –Division ERT.  He continues to be involved in breaching and rappelling and training.

Ken Ferguson started his policing career 16 years ago with the RCMP, General Duty uniformed section on Vancouver Island. From there he transferred to the Canadian Air Carrier Protective Program (Air Marshal program) at the Toronto field office, conducting years of domestic and international discreet deployments. In 2013, Ken transferred full time to O Division ERT in Toronto. Over the last 10 years Ken has conducted tactical operations across the country, he has served as a breacher, the unit Training NCO, Det Commander and now the Acting Operations NCO.