The identity of a police officer involved in the fatal shooting of a Toronto teenager has been made public as the young man's family released a public statement saying they will continue to seek justice for their loved one.
The police officer has been identified as Const. James Forcillo. He remains on suspension from duty with pay pending the results of an investigation by the province's Special Investigation Unit.
In a statement released to the media Tuesday afternoon, the family of Sammy Yatim say they are “heart-broken and confused” over Yatim’s death, but remain confident in the Canadian justice system and its ability to provide answers.
The statement goes on to thank Police Chief Bill Blair for reaching out to the family and notes that Yatim’s family and friends hold no ill will towards the Toronto Police Service or its officers.
“We expect that this matter will be investigated with the fullest measure of the law, so that incidents like this can be better managed and deescalated before such extreme use of force is ever exercised again,” the statement reads. “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. This is a tragedy for all involved.”
Yatim was wielding a knife when he encountered police officers on a streetcar early Saturday morning.
In a cellphone video recorded by a witness, nine gunshots are heard as Yatim stands inside the streetcar and a group of officers stands on the street near the open front door.
Police are repeatedly heard shouting commands, including "drop the knife," and a male voice is heard apparently taunting the officers before the shots were fired.
In its statement, the family does not comment on the events that led up to the shooting or why Yatim may have been on the streetcar in the first place.
The statement does say that Yatim had a “full and purposeful life ahead of him” and asks that the public respect the family’s privacy as they grieve his death.
The statement comes as the family finalizes arrangements for Yatim’s funeral, which will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday with visitation between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
“Sammy was our child, our brother and our friend - a young man with a full and purposeful life ahead of him,” the statement reads. “We need this time together as a family to share our memories of his laughter, his love and his unyielding optimism, and hopefully find some comfort in those memories.
Ford says heart goes out to family
The video of Yatim’s death has fuelled public outrage and accusations of excessive force.
That anger led to a march and vigil on Monday night with Yatim’s family and friends and hundreds of strangers participating. The rally was meant to condemn the officers’ actions.
Asked if he thought police acted inappropriately during an appearance in Scarborough Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Rob Ford declined comment, citing the ongoing SIU investigation.
“My condolences and my sympathies and my prayers go out to the family. I am very sorry about what happened to the young man, but I can’t comment on it,” he said. “The SIU is investigating and that’s all I can say.”
Second rally in works
As those who knew Yatim struggle for answers, a second rally protesting the teen’s death is now in the works.
A rally on Aug. 13 will coincide with a Toronto Police Services Board meeting that same afternoon.
In a Facebook event listing, protest organizers claim Yatim was a victim of police brutality when he was shot and killed.
Organizers of the protest accused the Special Investigations Unit – an arm’s length provincial agency that is probing the deadly encounter between police and Yatim – of failing to live up to its mandate.
“The ‘Special Investigations Unit’ has shown a clear inability to police the police, leaving cops in Toronto with a sense that they can get away with murder, and leaving us with no hope for accountability from the authorities,” protest organizers wrote on the social-networking website.
Police Chief Bill Blair said Monday his own internal review, separate from the SIU’s criminal investigation, will examine the officers’ conduct to find out whether they complied with the service’s policies, procedures and training.
Blair acknowledged the “serious concerns” raised by Yatim’s family and the public about the video’s contents, and vowed to do all that he can to provide answers to those who are questioning whether the use of lethal force was justified.
The SIU investigates incidents involving police where there has been a death or serious injury, and it is up to that agency to determine whether criminal charges are warranted against one or more officers in Yatim’s death.
The police union is urging people not to jump to conclusions based on footage of the shooting, but to wait for the SIU to complete its investigation and publicize its findings.
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