A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to nine additional years in prison following a police-involved shooting that began with a stolen vehicle pursuit in Markham last summer. The sentence, handed down by the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket, will be served consecutively to an existing eight-year prison term, meaning the individual faces a combined total of 17 years behind bars.
York Regional Police announced the sentencing on Thursday, April 2, following the conclusion of proceedings that began with a conviction on March 27, 2026.
The Incident
On Thursday, July 17, 2025, at approximately 6:55 p.m., York Regional Police attempted to stop the driver of a stolen vehicle in the area of Kennedy Road and Steeles Avenue East in the City of Markham. The intersection sits on the border between Markham and Toronto, in a densely populated area with heavy commercial and residential activity.
The driver failed to stop and attempted to flee, colliding with police vehicles during the pursuit. Officers eventually boxed in the suspect vehicle in the area of Kennedy Road and Bonis Avenue, in the City of Toronto, just south of the Markham border.
At that point, the suspect discharged a firearm at police officers. One officer returned fire, striking the suspect. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No officers were physically injured in the exchange, though the incident represented one of the most dangerous situations officers can face: an armed suspect actively firing at police during a vehicle pursuit in a populated area.
The Conviction and Sentence
On Friday, March 27, 2026, Kuot Akol, 31, was found guilty of six charges: Aggravated Assault of a Peace Officer, Discharge Firearm with Intent, Possession of a Restricted Firearm, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Fail to Comply with Release Order, and Possess Firearm Contrary to Prohibition Order.
The guilty verdict on the charge of Discharge Firearm with Intent is particularly significant, as it confirms that the court found the suspect deliberately fired at police officers, an act that places not only officers but also bystanders and members of the public in grave danger.
The nine-year sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to an existing prison term. Akol had previously been convicted and sentenced in absentia by the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto to eight years for a separate set of firearms offences committed in the City of Toronto between 2022 and 2023. That earlier conviction came in February 2025, just weeks after Akol had removed his GPS ankle monitoring device and become a fugitive, prompting a warrant for his arrest.
The combined 17-year sentence reflects the severity of the offences and the pattern of escalating criminal behaviour that preceded them.
A Pattern of Firearms Offences
The sentencing hearing revealed a troubling timeline. Akol had been charged with multiple firearms offences in Toronto between 2022 and 2023. Despite these pending charges, he was released on bail with GPS monitoring, a condition designed to allow the court to track his movements and compliance.
In February 2025, days before his scheduled court appearance for those earlier Toronto offences, Akol removed his GPS ankle monitoring device and went on the run. A warrant was issued for his arrest. Five months later, on July 17, 2025, while still a fugitive with an active warrant, he was encountered by York Regional Police driving a stolen vehicle in Markham and opened fire on officers during the subsequent pursuit.
The sequence of events, from bail with GPS monitoring to removing the device, to driving a stolen vehicle, to shooting at police, illustrates the challenges that courts, police, and the justice system face in managing repeat offenders involved in firearms crimes.
Police Response
York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween addressed the sentencing directly. "This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers our officers face each and every day," Chief MacSween said. "Yet again we see a repeat offender carrying an illegal firearm."
The chief's comments underscore a longstanding concern among police leaders across the Greater Toronto Area about repeat firearms offenders who reoffend while on bail or under court-ordered conditions. The Markham incident is one of several high-profile cases in York Region in recent years where suspects with existing firearms charges have been involved in violent confrontations with police.
The Special Investigations Unit, Ontario's independent civilian oversight agency, investigated the police use of force during the incident, as is standard procedure for any police-involved shooting in the province. The SIU investigation confirmed the circumstances of the incident as described by York Regional Police.
Community Impact
The Kennedy Road and Steeles Avenue East area where the pursuit began is one of the busiest intersections on the Markham-Toronto border. The incident occurred during the early evening rush, at a time when pedestrians, commuters, and local residents would have been present in significant numbers. The fact that no bystanders were injured is fortunate given that firearms were discharged in a populated area.
For Markham residents, the sentencing provides a degree of closure to an incident that generated significant concern at the time. The confirmation that a dangerous individual is off the streets and facing a lengthy prison term is a measure of accountability, though it also raises broader questions about how the justice system manages individuals with repeated firearms offences.
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