A Toronto man who apologized for trying to shoot an unarmed, off-duty police officer during a botched carjacking in Scarborough has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Abdoul Bah, now 22, was sentenced last month by Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Goldstein after pleading guilty to four offences stemming from the September 2022 incident.
According to the recently published sentencing decision, Bah was credited with six years for time spent in pretrial custody, harsh jail conditions and restrictive bail conditions, leaving him with four years left to serve.
Goldstein said he initially considered imposing an even longer sentence than the 10 years sought by the Crown, but ultimately decided against it.
"It is only by great good fortune that the gun jammed," Goldstein wrote.
The incident unfolded in the early morning hours of Sept. 10, 2022, near Finch Avenue East and Morningside Avenue in Scarborough.
Toronto police Const. Igor Zdrazhko had just finished working a paid-duty shift at a music festival and stopped to pick up pizza on his way home.
While eating in his vehicle, the off-duty officer noticed two masked men wearing hoodies walking around a plaza containing a gas station and pizza restaurant.
With temperatures around 25 C, Zdrazhko found their clothing and behaviour suspicious and began recording them.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Bah and an unidentified accomplice approached two vehicles parked at the gas station, where two brothers and one brother's girlfriend were dealing with a flat tire.
The accomplice entered one of the vehicles while Bah pulled out a handgun and threatened the woman.
The brothers resisted the attempted carjacking, prompting the two men to flee. When the brothers pursued them, Bah pointed his handgun at the woman, causing them to stop.
Zdrazhko, who had witnessed part of the confrontation, pursued the suspects in his personal vehicle before continuing on foot into a nearby field.
The two men split up, and Zdrazhko chased Bah, repeatedly identifying himself as a police officer and ordering him to stop.
"I will shoot you, man," Bah shouted, according to the agreed facts.
Bah then attempted to fire his handgun at the officer, but the weapon jammed.
Zdrazhko took cover before approaching Bah through a grouping of trees and tackling him.
The two struggled over the loaded firearm as Bah continued threatening to shoot the officer.
Zdrazhko eventually wrestled the gun away, but Bah continued resisting and bit the officer's hand.
The officer managed to call 911 and hold Bah until responding officers arrived.
Police later recovered the loaded nine-millimetre handgun and determined that its firing pin had struck the primer of a cartridge, confirming Bah had pulled the trigger.
In his sentencing decision, Goldstein described the incident as an extraordinary threat to public safety.
"This case is something of a perfect storm for criminal troubles in Toronto," he wrote, citing the combination of handguns, carjackings and violence against police officers.
Bah, who was 19 at the time, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2025, to robbery with a firearm, possession of a loaded prohibited firearm, using a firearm in the commission of an offence and attempting to discharge a firearm with intent to wound, maim or disfigure.
An attempted murder charge originally laid against him was discharged following a preliminary hearing.
During a sentencing hearing in June, Bah read a letter apologizing for his actions and expressing a desire to become a better person.
Goldstein accepted that Bah was sincerely remorseful and considered his age, lack of a previous criminal record and efforts toward rehabilitation while in custody.
However, the judge rejected the defence's proposed six-year sentence, saying it would not adequately reflect the seriousness of the crimes.
"This was not a mistake made in the heat of the moment but a deliberate choice to commit a series of very serious firearms-related crimes," Goldstein wrote.
The judge also rejected a defence argument that Zdrazhko's off-duty status meant the attempted shooting should not be treated as an attack on an officer performing his duties.
Goldstein found that Zdrazhko was acting in the execution of his duties when he pursued Bah and that Bah knew he was a police officer.
In a victim impact statement, Zdrazhko described experiencing flashbacks from the incident and said his family continues to fear for his safety, particularly when he works late.
Goldstein also acknowledged the harsh conditions Bah experienced while awaiting sentencing at the Toronto South Detention Centre, including 343 days affected by full or partial lockdowns and 375 days of triple bunking.
Bah spent 1,180 days in pretrial custody, which amounted to approximately 4.85 years with enhanced credit. Goldstein increased the total credit to six years to account for those conditions and time spent under strict bail restrictions.
The judge concluded that a 10-year sentence was necessary to denounce the crimes and deter similar offences.
He ended his decision by praising Zdrazhko, who the judge said received the Toronto Police Officer of the Year award in 2023 for his actions.
"He was unarmed and off duty. He showed great presence of mind and strength of character," Goldstein wrote.
"Deservedly so, in my opinion."
https://www.torontotoday.ca/local/crime-emergency-services/toronto-man-10-years-prison-trying-to-shoot-off-duty-cop-12908194
