but there is no punch line here, no joke. it was shortly after midnight on may 31, 1997 when allen macdonald, a north york fire captain and former chairman of the local police services board, strode into the crowded commodore hotel in penetanguishene and placed his loaded illegal handgun at the back of the head of off-duty opp const. tom coffin.
so when he saw the bartender treat coffin and his partner steve roden to a free drink , his simmering rage finally exploded. macdonald, then 51, went home to get his handgun and returned to shoot the 32-year-old officer from behind, killing him instantly. when his partner gave chase, macdonald turned and pointed the gun at him — but luckily, it jammed.
that had been his plan: macdonald had told several people, including his toronto family doctor, that he was going to “blow tom coffin‘s brains out” and then plead insanity because of his emotional troubles . his doc put him on prozac for depression and wanted him voluntarily committed — but macdonald refused, assuring him his threats of revenge were all talk.
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