Forcillo convicted of attempted murder
(second six shots, as Yatim was no longer a threat)
Those of us who have traveled on a streetcar seldom remember our brief interactions with the strangers who stare ahead glazy eyed, waiting for their next stop. The homeless man, the laces of his shoes untied, shivering as he unwraps the elastic band off a scrumpled ball of paper. The mother who comforts an overweight child grasping a take away bag. The woman who speaks loudly into her cellphone at a supposed husband who didn't return home last night. The business man who gives away his seat and the boy attached to his ipod who pretends to sleep. The green eyed teenager of small build surrounded by police as they yell into the street in aggressive tone, "Drop the knife, Drop the knife . . . ."
On the morning of July 26th, 2013, Sammy Yatim, 18, was enjoying a breakfast of eggs and bacon with his young friend Braden. Braden, 7, adored Sammy and woke him up every morning to play cards or video games. Sammy had been living with his friend Josh Ramoo 23, and his son Braden for the past few weeks after a disagreement with his father. Sammy had been caught smoking cannabis and didn't yet have a steady job, but he was a determined young man who embraced the opportunity to become more independent. "He wanted to be on his own and make something of himself," Ramoo informed the media. According to another friend, Sammy was polite, quiet and respectful. "Sammy was scared of bugs. He wouldn't hurt anyone!" After breakfast Sammy said goodbye to little Braden, promising to play with him when he returned then headed to Fairview Mall a large shopping Centre in Toronto, Canada, close to his home.
At 10pm Sammy used his cellphone to call another friend Nathan Schiffito 28, they arranged to meet at Josh Ramoos home later. Nathan also lived at Ramoos apartment, he and Sammy were roommates. Nadeem Jeries 18, a high school friend of Sammy's stood and smoked cigarettes with his friend whilst they exchanged ideas for a party they were arranging, then Jeries watched him walk into Don Mills station, it was 10.30pm, his friends would never see him again. The next hour and a half of Sammy's short life remain a mystery but at some time past 12pm on July 27th, 2013, he entered a busy Westbound Dundas streetcar and allegedly exposed his genitals to frightened passengers whilst brandishing a knife. "He had no mental health or drug issues," his family later released in a statement. Friend Nadeem Jeries said, "I'm pretty sure Sammy had never taken a streetcar in his life before. . . I don't know what made him do that, that night."
But whatever happened to Sammy his behaviour inevitably led the police to be called and in events that are now being circulated worldwide Toronto police were recorded as they open fired on a 110 lb teenager, shooting him dead. Eight bullets were fired into Sammy Yatim and his lifeless body was then tasered. The question on many people's minds, "was this really necessary?"
Constable James Forcillo is a happily married man with two young children. For as long as his father can remember James Forcillo has wanted to be a police officer. His motivation impressed all those he knew, he graduated with straight A's from the Justice Program and became a police officer three years ago. According to some sources he obtained many commendations for his work as an officer. One such commendation was for arresting two criminals armed with knives at gunpoint. He lived with his family in a home owned by his father. Friends from high school remember him as being an athletic but quiet man, keen on weightlifting, wrestling and LaCrosse. Jeremy a high school friend and fellow Lacrosse player recalled, "He always had your back, if someone started on you he was there!" James' conduct as a police officer was never questioned, he had never been called to a disciplinary hearing, a spokesperson for Toronto police department told the press.
On July 27th, 2013, police officers responded to a call and James Forcillo was one of the officers to respond. Videos record the events that followed, "Drop the knife, Drop the knife..." officers yelled as sirens blared. A few officers did not brandish a weapon whilst others pointed their guns towards a teenager standing alone in a streetcar allegedly armed with a knife. Three shots were fired, the boy fell then another six were fired. It is reported that eight bullets hit the boy and then another officer tasered him. Sammy Yatim, a Syrian born teenager with a whole life in front of him was dead.
On August 19th James Forcillo was charged with the second degree murder of Sammy. Donato Forcillo, James father told the media, "I’m upset that there was loss of life, of course, but I’m very upset with the situation – he didn’t ask to get put in this situation.”
What is missing here in our opinion is a global understanding that protection is not gained efficiently through weaponry but by the way in which we approach situations. The desperate, deranged or drugged cannot be deterred by weapons and the rest of the population can be talked down if we could as a society learn to communicate. Being a police officer comes with risks both physical and psychological that is why the job option should never be taken lightly and why training is of the utmost importance. There should always be a doctrine of minimal force, officers are here to uphold the law but more importantly to protect the public from harm. Sammy was a member of the public, be he one who had fallen off the rails and whose mental functionality at the time was somewhat askew. The aggressive yelling and gun pointing would only have escalated an already perilous situation, what was needed was a mediator someone confident and firm with a trustworthy tone to tell Sammy to back down. Sammy's death was unnecessary.
Sammy moved to Toronto with his father from Syria in 2008 his adjustment was not an easy one. He struggled with the English language and missed his mother, a physician who after divorcing his father stayed in Aleppo; Sammy visited her every summer. He was protective of his younger sister Sarah, 16, who moved to Toronto from Syria 18 months ago. On August 13th Sarah wearing a baseball cap with her brothers name on it stood with hundreds of protesters outside the Toronto police department headquarters. Protestors follow her lead as she shouts "Justice for Sammy, justice for all." His mother stony-faced and grief stricken just stares, lost at how this could have happened. Ahmad Kalaji 19, told the media, "I don't care if he was carrying a knife he was just a kid!"
If history is anything to go by it is unlikely James Forcillo will be convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to a term in jail. He was after all a uniformed police officer sent to withold the law at the time. The Toronto Star reports that so far no Toronto police officer has ever been convicted of the crime of murder whilst on duty. But James is still according to his lawyer in a great deal of shock, he declined to speak to the media informing them he had no comment at this time. Lawrence Squire was convicted of the shooting of a 19 year old in 1973; a former Niagara regional officer, he was locked up in Kingston penitentiary. In a documentary filmed by the National Film Board of Canada, he spoke about how police officers are marked for death by other inmates as soon as they arrive. "To be a police officer in prison is very difficult!"
Ontario announced on August 28th, 2013, that they would expand the use of stun gun's in wake of Sammy Yatim's untimely death. "This is the right decision to make and will improve public safety by preventing injury and death," said Madeline Meilleur, Ontario's community safety officer. A further review of police procedures and their use of force will follow.
At 10pm Sammy used his cellphone to call another friend Nathan Schiffito 28, they arranged to meet at Josh Ramoos home later. Nathan also lived at Ramoos apartment, he and Sammy were roommates. Nadeem Jeries 18, a high school friend of Sammy's stood and smoked cigarettes with his friend whilst they exchanged ideas for a party they were arranging, then Jeries watched him walk into Don Mills station, it was 10.30pm, his friends would never see him again. The next hour and a half of Sammy's short life remain a mystery but at some time past 12pm on July 27th, 2013, he entered a busy Westbound Dundas streetcar and allegedly exposed his genitals to frightened passengers whilst brandishing a knife. "He had no mental health or drug issues," his family later released in a statement. Friend Nadeem Jeries said, "I'm pretty sure Sammy had never taken a streetcar in his life before. . . I don't know what made him do that, that night."
But whatever happened to Sammy his behaviour inevitably led the police to be called and in events that are now being circulated worldwide Toronto police were recorded as they open fired on a 110 lb teenager, shooting him dead. Eight bullets were fired into Sammy Yatim and his lifeless body was then tasered. The question on many people's minds, "was this really necessary?"
Constable James Forcillo is a happily married man with two young children. For as long as his father can remember James Forcillo has wanted to be a police officer. His motivation impressed all those he knew, he graduated with straight A's from the Justice Program and became a police officer three years ago. According to some sources he obtained many commendations for his work as an officer. One such commendation was for arresting two criminals armed with knives at gunpoint. He lived with his family in a home owned by his father. Friends from high school remember him as being an athletic but quiet man, keen on weightlifting, wrestling and LaCrosse. Jeremy a high school friend and fellow Lacrosse player recalled, "He always had your back, if someone started on you he was there!" James' conduct as a police officer was never questioned, he had never been called to a disciplinary hearing, a spokesperson for Toronto police department told the press.
On July 27th, 2013, police officers responded to a call and James Forcillo was one of the officers to respond. Videos record the events that followed, "Drop the knife, Drop the knife..." officers yelled as sirens blared. A few officers did not brandish a weapon whilst others pointed their guns towards a teenager standing alone in a streetcar allegedly armed with a knife. Three shots were fired, the boy fell then another six were fired. It is reported that eight bullets hit the boy and then another officer tasered him. Sammy Yatim, a Syrian born teenager with a whole life in front of him was dead.
On August 19th James Forcillo was charged with the second degree murder of Sammy. Donato Forcillo, James father told the media, "I’m upset that there was loss of life, of course, but I’m very upset with the situation – he didn’t ask to get put in this situation.”
What is missing here in our opinion is a global understanding that protection is not gained efficiently through weaponry but by the way in which we approach situations. The desperate, deranged or drugged cannot be deterred by weapons and the rest of the population can be talked down if we could as a society learn to communicate. Being a police officer comes with risks both physical and psychological that is why the job option should never be taken lightly and why training is of the utmost importance. There should always be a doctrine of minimal force, officers are here to uphold the law but more importantly to protect the public from harm. Sammy was a member of the public, be he one who had fallen off the rails and whose mental functionality at the time was somewhat askew. The aggressive yelling and gun pointing would only have escalated an already perilous situation, what was needed was a mediator someone confident and firm with a trustworthy tone to tell Sammy to back down. Sammy's death was unnecessary.
Sammy moved to Toronto with his father from Syria in 2008 his adjustment was not an easy one. He struggled with the English language and missed his mother, a physician who after divorcing his father stayed in Aleppo; Sammy visited her every summer. He was protective of his younger sister Sarah, 16, who moved to Toronto from Syria 18 months ago. On August 13th Sarah wearing a baseball cap with her brothers name on it stood with hundreds of protesters outside the Toronto police department headquarters. Protestors follow her lead as she shouts "Justice for Sammy, justice for all." His mother stony-faced and grief stricken just stares, lost at how this could have happened. Ahmad Kalaji 19, told the media, "I don't care if he was carrying a knife he was just a kid!"
If history is anything to go by it is unlikely James Forcillo will be convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to a term in jail. He was after all a uniformed police officer sent to withold the law at the time. The Toronto Star reports that so far no Toronto police officer has ever been convicted of the crime of murder whilst on duty. But James is still according to his lawyer in a great deal of shock, he declined to speak to the media informing them he had no comment at this time. Lawrence Squire was convicted of the shooting of a 19 year old in 1973; a former Niagara regional officer, he was locked up in Kingston penitentiary. In a documentary filmed by the National Film Board of Canada, he spoke about how police officers are marked for death by other inmates as soon as they arrive. "To be a police officer in prison is very difficult!"
Ontario announced on August 28th, 2013, that they would expand the use of stun gun's in wake of Sammy Yatim's untimely death. "This is the right decision to make and will improve public safety by preventing injury and death," said Madeline Meilleur, Ontario's community safety officer. A further review of police procedures and their use of force will follow.
Coroner's Inquest and Recent Developments
A mandatory coroner's inquest began in November 2023 and concluded in January 2024, officially ruling Yatim's death a homicide after reviewing evidence from over a decade prior. The five-person jury made 33 recommendations, including:
- Enhanced mental health support and financial aid for families of police shooting victims.
- Improved police training on de-escalation, crisis intervention, and use-of-force (e.g., prioritizing non-lethal options).
- Better access to body cameras and real-time video sharing during incidents.
