A Montreal business has posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman who shot Toronto Const. Pat Ferdinand last month. While Toronto detectives welcomed the reward money and hoped it will give them a break in the shooting, they are puzzled why no Toronto company offered similar help. “ It’s strange to think it takes a company in Montreal to be the first to offer award money,” one officer said. An executive at Rankin Technology, which makes a device used to track stolen cars, said the company posted the reward because it’s concerned about the safety of cops who use its products. “We want the guys who shot at Ferdinand caught – and soon,” said Rob Nelson, a vice-president and major shareholder in the company that makes the Boomerang stolen-car tracker. “(Ferdinand) could have been following a stolen van using one of our products.” Ferdinand was severely wounded July 14 when he was shot in the face while trying to pull over a stolen van on Hwy 401. “I think it’s a wonderful idea that a company outside Toronto has come up with this type of offer,” said Homicide Det. Mike Davis, adding he believes the probe is moving ahead. Rankin Technology first heard about the shooting because, it happened on the same day Toronto Police used the Boomerang in a car to lead them to a major auto theft ring. Anyone with information about the shooting should call 808-7400 or Crime Stoppers at 222-TIPS.
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