‘An incredible man’: Const. Andrew Hong laid to rest in moving ceremony

Police officers from across the country gathered with members of the community on Wednesday to remember a Toronto constable killed in the line of duty last week.

The funeral for Const. Andrew Hong took place at the Toronto Congress Centre near Pearson Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

The service began at 12 p.m. and included eulogies from the fallen officer’s wife, Jenny, and eldest daughter, Mia, as well as tributes from dignitaries such as Premier Doug Ford, Mayor John Tory and Toronto Police Chief James Ramer.

“That day we lost a hero, we lost a friend, a brother, a son, a husband and a father … that day, my dad was taken from me, and he was taken too soon. He still had so much of his life to live,” Mia said.

“Dad, I am so grateful to have spent my whole life with you … I am so grateful you were in my life, and I am so sorry you won’t be with me to watch the rest of it … Dad, thank you for everything you’ve taught me. I won’t forget it, I promise; goodbye, dad.”

Jenny said Andrew had two great loves in his life — TPS and his family. She thanked his fellow officers who were by his side during his career and the first responders who came to his aid after the shooting.

“To my children… I am sorry your father is no longer here with you. He left us so suddenly, and he had so much left to give,” she said.

“He lived hard, laughed hard, loved hard and worked hard … He never would want you to stop striving because he is not here with us … Just like your dad, you must learn to ride on … Although our time has been tragically cut short, I know Andrew will always be our hero and protector from up above.”

Jenny also said that their 21st wedding anniversary would have been on Thursday.

“So Andrew, if you are listening, please know that you will always and forever be the greatest love of my life. Happy anniversary.”

Tributes from dignitaries

“First and foremost, Andrew was a family man,” Ford said. “He was everything to his family, and our hearts are absolutely broken for them.”

“It’s impossible to make sense of a tragedy like this because there was no reason for it,” Ford added. “We’ve lost someone very special, and that is a void we can’t fill. But I know the legacy left by Const. Andrew Hong will live on in his children and his colleagues and the next generation of officers.”

“Thank you, constable. May you rest easy and at peace.”

Toronto police Const. Andrew Hong, who was shot and killed in what investigators have deemed an ambush attack in Mississauga on Sept. 12, 2022.

Mayor Tory said he met Hong a few times over the years, and he made an indelible impression.

“This tragedy should not have happened,” Tory said. “There isn’t a speech or ceremony that could ease the terrible pain.”

“It is up to us to help this family stay strong long after today … we will carry the memory of your love and generosity in our hearts forever.”

Chief Ramer called Hong a “mentor who shared his generosity and kindness far and wide” and brought energy and “joy” to his work with Toronto police.

“Make no mistake, the attack on Andrew was, and is, an attack on all of us,” Ramer said.

Chair of the Toronto Police Services Board, Jim Hart, called Hong “an incredible man” and a “bright and positive light.”

“The reverberations of sadness, anger and grief echo deeply throughout our organization.”

Const. Hong began his career at Toronto Police Service (TPS) 42 Division in 2000 and transferred to Traffic Services in 2002 as a front-line traffic officer. In 2008, he moved to the Motor Squad in 2008, where he became a police motorcycle instructor. There are 25 motorcycle squads attending the funeral from across Canada and the U.S.

Hong lived in the GTA with his wife Jenny and their two children, 17-year-old daughter Mia and 15-year-old son Alex. He is also survived by his parents and two sisters.

Related: IN PHOTOS: Remembering Toronto police Const. Andrew Hong

Toronto Police advised they worked closely with Const. Hong’s family regarding their wishes for the service.

The funeral is not open to the public, but community members were encouraged to gather and observe the motorcade procession on Wednesday morning.

A number of road closures were in effect throughout the morning around the congress centre. All roads have since reopened.

Hong, a 22-year veteran of the force, was shot dead last Monday in a Tim Horton’s restaurant in Mississauga while on break during a training session. Police have described the shooting as an “ambush attack.”

Investigators believe the suspect deliberately targeted Hong because he was in uniform. Police believe he was waiting in the restaurant for someone in uniform to come in for more than two hours.

Hong was one of three people murdered by the same suspect during a shooting rampage, including Milton auto shop owner Shakeel Ashfar and one of his employees, Satwinder Singh, who died in hospital on Sep. 17.

Police said Singh, 28, was an international student from India working part-time at MK Auto Repairs at the time of the shooting.

Police identified the shooting suspect as 40-year-old Sean Petrie, who died in a shootout with police that same day in Hamilton.

Funeral procession for Hong

The funeral procession left the Kane-Jerrett funeral home in Thornhill around 9:25 a.m. and made its way westbound along Highway 407 to the Toronto Congress Centre in north Etobicoke.

Community members gathered to view the procession from a number of Highway 407 overpasses between Yonge Street and Highway 27.

The Waterloo Warbirds made up of several current and retired police officers, conducted a flyover above the Toronto Congress Centre around 9:45 a.m. It consisted of four planes doing a “missing man” formation. The flyover signalled the start of the procession.

The funeral cortege featured a “Lone Charger” following the hearse, which is represented by a single horse or motorcycle without a rider, with boots reversed in the stirrups.

During the funeral procession, six motorcycle officers acted as rolling honourary pallbearers alongside the hearse and Lone Charger vehicle, with three riders on each side.

Ahead of the procession, massed bands of visiting pipers and drummers from Toronto Police and other police services led a march starting at Canlan Sports on Martin Grove Road and travelled south into the driveway of the Toronto Congress Centre.

The procession included members of the Traffic Services Motor Squad, the Mounted Unit, the Toronto Police Pipe Band, the funeral cortege, and emergency services members.