10-year sentence for Toronto carjacker who tried to shoot off-duty cop - Toronto Star

It 'was only by great good fortune' that the gun jammed, the judge said.

Const. Igor Zdrazhko’s “incredibly brave” actions just after midnight on Sept. 10, 2022, led to the 2023 Police Officer of the Year Award from the Toronto Police Service.

Off-duty Toronto Police Const. Igor Zdrazhko was unarmed and eating pizza in a Scarborough plaza just after midnight on Sept. 10, 2022, when two masked men nearby attempted to carjack a nearby vehicle.

The driver fought them off, prompting the pair to flee.

Zdrazhko quickly leapt into action. He pursued the suspects on foot, following one of them into a field. When he identified himself as a police officer and yelled at him to stop, Abdoul Bah responded: “I will shoot you, man.”

Bah then tried to fire his weapon, but it jammed.

After taking cover, Zdrazhko continued to pursue him into a wooded area, where the two struggled. During the fight, Bah — still holding the gun — repeated his threat to shoot the officer, a married father of two. Zdrazhko eventually wrestled the firearm away and held Bah until officers from 42 Division arrived.

Police recovered a loaded 9‑mm semi‑automatic pistol at the scene.

Zdrazhko was named the Toronto Police Service’s officer of the year in 2023 for his bravery. “My only goal was to stop this male, and I know that I can do this, and it is my job to do this,” Zdrazhko said at the ceremony held at police headquarters in May 2023. 

Late last year, Bah pleaded guilty to several firearms offences and robbery. A charge of attempted murder was withdrawn after a preliminary hearing.

For the young criminals behind the auto theft crisis, a carjacking promises “easy money.” But often, their victims are changed forever.