As Sammy Yatim鈥檚 family prepares to bury the teenager gunned down by Toronto police, Ontario鈥檚 ombudsman is deciding whether or not to launch a full investigation into use-of-force protocols.
Ombudsman Andre Marin has directed his staff to look at the directions and guidelines provided by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services to the province鈥檚 police services for de-escalating situations that could potentially result in the use of force.
鈥淭he ministry has the power to set standards for Ontario police services,鈥� Marin said in a statement. 鈥淭he latest shooting by a Toronto Police officer raises the question of whether it is time for the ministry to direct Ontario police services on how to de-escalate situations of conflict before they lead to the use of fatal force.鈥�
Yatim, 18, was shot and killed by police on the weekend after he wielded a knife on a Toronto streetcar.
The teen鈥檚 family and friends gathered at the Highland Funeral Home in Scarborough for a viewing on Wednesday evening. Some of those in attendance wore T-shirts that read: 鈥淩IP Sammy Yatim鈥� and 鈥�9 shots鈥�?鈥�
A funeral will be held at the same location on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Yatim鈥檚 parents are devastated and barely able to eat as their son鈥檚 funeral approaches, a family friend told The Canadian Press on Wednesday.
Friends have been trying to feed his mother spoonfuls of soup but she 鈥渉asn鈥檛 eaten in days,鈥� Joseph Nazar said.
Yatim鈥檚 father has also been unable to eat, he said.
鈥淚鈥檝e told him 鈥� he needs to be able to stand at the funeral,鈥� Nazar told The Canadian Press.
Yatim was shot by police early Saturday morning while brandishing a knife on an empty Toronto streetcar.
The incident was captured by surveillance cameras as well as bystanders鈥� cellphones, some of which have been posted to YouTube.
In one video, Yatim can be seen pacing the empty streetcar as police shout at him to 鈥渄rop the knife.鈥�
Then, in approximately a 13-second span, nine shots can be heard.
On Tuesday, CTV News identified the Toronto police officer involved in the fatal shooting as Const. James Forcillo, a married six-year veteran of the force with a new baby at home.
Forcillo has been suspended with pay while Ontario鈥檚 police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, probes the incident.
The president of the Toronto Police Association, Mike McCormack, said that as far as he knows, all 22 witness police officers have given their statements to the SIU.
However, Forcillo has not yet given his statement. His lawyer, Peter Brauti, said Wednesday he will wait until the SIU completes its investigation before deciding whether Forcillo will talk.
Brauti said Forcillo is devastated, but that doesn鈥檛 mean the officer did anything wrong. The lawyer also urged the public to let the investigation run its course.
On Tuesday, Yatim鈥檚 family released a statement saying it doesn鈥檛 hold any 鈥渋ll will鈥� against Toronto police.
鈥淲e want to be clear that we do not hold any ill will against the thousands of police officers who work to protect us each day,鈥� the statement read. 鈥淭his is a tragedy for all involved.鈥�
The family also said it had faith that the matter would be investigated 鈥渢horoughly and judiciously.鈥�
With a report from CTV Toronto鈥檚 Tamara Cherry and files from The Canadian Press and Daniel Reid
