Ontario’s police watchdog probing shooting near Belleville, Ont. synagogue

A peaceful Sunday night in Belleville, Ont., was shattered by reports of multiple gunshots, followed by local police issuing a tight-lipped statement.

The Belleville Police Service posted a media release on Facebook saying that around 7:10 p.m., near Bleecker Avenue and Victoria Avenue, in a mostly residential area, an officer encountered an individual.

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They say that during an interaction, both the officer and the individual were injured and taken to hospital.

The province’s Special Investigations Unit has been notified, and police say no further comment is coming at this time.

The incident appears to have unfolded near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue, during a gathering to mark Yom Kippur.

Premier Doug Ford responded on X, saying that he was “disgusted by the shooting” and stands with the Jewish community in Belleville and across Ontario.