Police officer shot near Ontario synagogue on Yom Kippur

By Hanna Park, CNN

(CNN) — A police officer was shot near a synagogue in Ontario, Canada, on Sunday evening as members of the Jewish community gathered to mark Yom Kippur, officials said.

Around 7:10 p.m., an officer “encountered an individual” near Bleecker Avenue and Victoria Avenue in Belleville, around 115 miles northeast of Toronto, the Belleville Police Service said in a statement. The Sons of Jacob Synagogue sits at the intersection.

“The officer and the individual sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital,” the statement said, without providing further details. Officials did not disclose the condition of the officer or the other person, but said there was no threat to public safety.

It’s unknown how the shooting unfolded or why the officer was in the area.

No one inside the synagogue was injured but all Yom Kippur services were canceled, Sons of Jacob said in a Facebook post.

The shooting happened as worshippers assembled at the synagogue to mark the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a statement.

“We owe an immense debt of gratitude to this brave officer and to all the first responders who acted so quickly to keep the community safe,” Ford said. “My thoughts are with the Jewish community in Belleville and across Ontario, who have every right to gather and worship safely and without fear,” Ford added.

York Regional Police, which patrols communities north of Toronto, said it would step up patrols and keep officers visible “where people gather to worship,” in response to the shooting.

CNN has reached out to Belleville police and Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit for more information.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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