Toronto's 89th murder victim of 2018 was part of 'Neptune 4' unlawful arrest case, sources say

The city's latest murder victim, Yohannes Brhanu, was at the centre of a high-profile case against Toronto Police Service for the unlawful arrest of a group of black teenagers in 2011, CBCNews has learned.

Brhanu, 22, who was shotin the early morning hours Wednesday in Toronto's north end, wasthe city's 89thhomicide victim this yeartying a grim record set in 1991.

He was alsoone of four young men arrested in the so-called "Neptune Four"incident on Nov. 21, 2011 involving two Toronto police officers who have been accused of misconduct.

The officers,Const. AdamLourencoandConst.SharnalPais, approached the group of black teens in an unmarked police van in the city's north end.They were walking outside aLawrence Heights public housing complex on Neptune Drive, located in the area of Highway 401 and Allen Road, where they lived.

They asked for identification a controversial practice known as carding andtestified during a police disciplinaryhearing thatthey believed the teensmatched the description of robbery suspects.

The youths, aged 15 and 16, were headed to a neighbourhood mentorship program offered by Pathways to Education when they were stopped. One of the boys asked if they were under arrest and when told no, tried to leave.

Less than two minutes later, a Toronto Community Housing security video showedone of the officers punch theyouth in the stomach and head until he fell. The teen's twin brother and two friends then got involved.The altercation ended with one constable drawing his firearm and arresting the group at gunpoint.

The criminal charges against the four teens were later dropped after the surveillance video surfaced.

Seven years later,the caseis still being heard bythe Toronto Police Service Tribunal.

Both officers are charged with unlawful or unnecessary exercise of authority under the Police Services Act, and Lourenco is facing an additional two counts of discreditable conduct. They are from the now-disbanded Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) unit and have both pleaded not guilty.

The teens have also filed a civil lawsuit against the officers, each seeking $100,000 in damages.

Brhanuwas the intended target, detective says

Brhanuwas shot to death in a car that was parked onAnn Arbour Roadin the area of Albion and Weston roads.

Evidence suggests he was the intended target, homicideDet.-Sgt. MikeCarbonesaid during a Wednesday news conference.

Brhanu was foundwithout vital signs inside the vehicle, sitting beside a loaded gun that was never fired, investigators said.He was rushed to a trauma centre where he later died.

"Normally we wouldn't talkabout the victim being armed, but in this case we both feel it's extremely relevant to disclose the amount of firepowerthere was on a quiet residential street. It's alarming to us," Acting Insp. Hank Idsingatold reporters, noting at least four firearms most likely handguns were used in the fatal attack.

"We're getting a lot more guns off the street than we ever have and yet the shootings keep on happening."

Brhanu was in the driver's seatwith another person as a passenger when a vehicle, "that appears to have some association with the deceased," approached from the opposite direction and stopped,Carbonesaid. Then, athird unknown vehicle drove up and parked beside the driver's side of Brhanu'scar. Itsoccupants fired multiple shotsat him.

Meanwhile, occupants in the second vehicle exchanged fire in what Carbonecharacterized as a "gun battle" thatforced the third vehicle to flee.

He estimated between 10 to 20 bullets were fired.

One person was arrested in the case, but was later released without charges, Carbone said, adding at this point in the investigationthere's no information to suggest any violent retaliation will follow this shooting.

Police haven't releasedinformation about possible suspects or a description of the vehicle that fled.