Toronto cop in Sammy Yatim shooting being threatened
The Toronto Police officer who shot and killed a knife-wielding Sammy Yatim on a TTC streetcar Saturday is being threatened.
The threats have been aimed at Const. James Forcillo online and electronically and Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack said he’s worried about the officer and his family.
“It’s mostly on social media, mainly comments that are, at the very least, inappropriate,” the union boss said Wednesday. “But the tone and nature of others is more concerning.”
He said one Twitter user tweeted: “We know where you are. Expect us.”
“That’s just inappropriate,” McCormack said.
The name of the 14 Division officer, who has six years of service, was revealed in the media Tuesday.
McCormack said the threats have picked up since then.
“It’s elevated the stress for our officer,” he said, adding Forcillo and his family are going through a lot as it is.
McCormack repeated his request that people to wait for the investigation to unfold before judging the officer.
Meanwhile, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit confirmed they are aware of a YouTube video showing emergency responders trampling through the scene of the shooting early Saturday.
But while the SIU acknowledged such behaviour would be troubling, they haven’t said if their investigation into Forcillo was affected.
”We are always concerned about the integrity of the scene,” SIU spokesman Monica Hudon said.
The video clearly shows officers, firefighters and paramedics walking through the spot where Forcillo stood on Dundas St. W. as he fired into the streetcar.
Cops are also seen standing on, even kicking, some of the nine spent shell casings.
Disturbing footage of the moment Yatim was gunned down surfaced online immediately after the shooting, sparking public outrage.
Those videos also show another officer entering the rear of the streetcar and apparently Tasering Yatim’s lifeless body, nearly a minute after Forcillo fired his ninth bullet.
That second officer is not under SIU investigation because the teen was already incapacitated by gunshots, possibly even dead, so the Tasering doesn’t fall under the police watchdog’s mandate of probing serious injuries or death involving cops.
“We are of the view that only one subject officer caused Mr. Yatim’s death,” Hudon said. “Accordingly, one officer has been designated as the subject officer.”
Toronto Police say the second officer’s actions may be examined as part of Chief Bill Blair’s investigation
