Toronto police chief explains why home invasion suspect was not arrested

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the decision not to arrest a suspect involved in a violent home invasion in the Bridle Path neighbourhood was based on the evidence available to investigators at the time. The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Daijohn Richards, was taken to St. Joseph’s Health Centre with a gunshot wound on the morning of Oct. 29 and released later that day. Police said they recognized a potential link between the hospital patient and the burglary, but "suspicion alone isn’t enough. Police need reasonable grounds, supported by evidence, to make an arrest," according to a police statement.

Officers responded to a home on Hyde Park Circle just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 29 after three masked men armed with handguns and a hammer broke in. The homeowners – a husband, wife and their two adult daughters – were shot, and the husband and his wife were also struck with a hammer. All four victims were taken to hospital, with some sustaining life-altering injuries; a few have since been discharged.

Mayor Olivia Chow, speaking with Demkiw, called the incident an act of "brutal violence" and said she supports the chief’s efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and work with local residents to prevent further invasions. The police investigation continues, and officials declined to comment on any ongoing surveillance of the suspect, citing the need to preserve the integrity of the investigation.