Wanting answers to the many questions surrounding Rodger Kotanko’s death was the centre of attention at a press conference Thursday morning.
The family of Rodger, along with the lawyer supporting them, spoke to members of the community in front of Rodger’s Port Ryerse Road home about his life.
The 70-year-old registered gunsmith was shot and killed at his home earlier this month during a search warrant carried out by the Toronto Police.
According to lawyer Michael Smitiuch, the family has not seen the search warrant in question.
Because they have not seen the warrant, they are unsure of the grounds of which the search warrant was issued.
Smitiuch said the customer that was with Kotanko in his shop during the search warrant had booked the appointment late in the evening the day prior.
He also added Rodger’s phone is among the items the police took from the scene, so they are unable to see the call history. The customer has not been identified at this time.
Rodger’s family spoke about who he was as a person.
That was Jeff Kotanko, Rodger’s younger brother.
His sister, Suzanne Kantor, also spoke.
The family confirmed that there were four bullet wounds. They are unsure how many officers discharged their weapons during the event.
In closing, Smitiuch acknowledged that the case is currently under investigation. He was unable to comment on if they will be providing future briefings as the case unfolds.
The investigation is currently being handled by Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit. The family has been told they usually have the results for an investigation within 120 days.
The full livestream of the event can be seen below.
Kotanko Press Conference https://t.co/shLmIfhIA1
— Smitiuch Injury Law (@SmitiuchLaw) November 18, 2021