As Sammy Yatim’s family prepares to bury the teenager gunned down by Toronto police, Ontario’s 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’s police services for de-escalating situations that could potentially result in the use of force.
“The ministry has the power to set standards for Ontario police services,†Marin said in a statement. “The 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.â€
Yatim, 18, was shot and killed by police on the weekend after he wielded a knife on a Toronto streetcar.
The teen’s 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: “RIP Sammy Yatim†and “9 shots…?â€
A funeral will be held at the same location on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Yatim’s parents are devastated and barely able to eat as their son’s funeral approaches, a family friend told The Canadian Press on Wednesday.
Friends have been trying to feed his mother spoonfuls of soup but she “hasn’t eaten in days,†Joseph Nazar said.
Yatim’s father has also been unable to eat, he said.
“I’ve told him … he needs to be able to stand at the funeral,†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’ 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 “drop the knife.â€
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’s 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’t mean the officer did anything wrong. The lawyer also urged the public to let the investigation run its course.
On Tuesday, Yatim’s family released a statement saying it doesn’t hold any “ill will†against Toronto police.
“We 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,†the statement read. “This is a tragedy for all involved.â€
The family also said it had faith that the matter would be investigated “thoroughly and judiciously.â€
With a report from CTV Toronto’s Tamara Cherry and files from The Canadian Press and Daniel Reid
