Const. James Forcillo leaves court in Toronto on Monday, Jan. 25, 2016. A former Toronto police officer who shot a teen on an empty streetcar more than a decade ago is taking the stand for a second day at a coroner's inquest. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Republished January 23, 2024 - 7:50 AM
Original Publication Date January 23, 2024 - 1:01 AM
TORONTO - A former Toronto police officer who shot a teen on an empty streetcar more than a decade ago says it would have been helpful to receive feedback from superiors on his use of force before that incident.
James Forcillo told a coroner's inquest into the death of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim that whenever an officer uses force – which includes drawing a firearm – they have to fill out and submit a form, but they typically "never hear about it again."
He says it would be "absolutely fantastic" to have a review from time to time highlighting things that were done well in those cases, as well as any mistakes or areas of improvement.
The inquest has previously heard Forcillo had five instances were he drew a firearm between April and December 2012, and one in 2013 about two weeks before Yatim's death. Forcillo said he was not given any feedback on any of these incidents
Yatim was alone on a streetcar and holding a small knife when he was hit by two volleys of shots shortly after midnight on July 27, 2013.
Forcillo was found not guilty of second-degree murder in connection with the first volley of bullets, which court heard was fatal, but was convicted of attempted murder for the second volley, fired when Yatim was already on the ground.
On Monday, Forcillo told jurors that things would have gone differently that night if he'd had access to a stun gun.
Coroner's counsel has said the inquest is meant to examine police decision-making and best practices in dealing with people in crisis.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2024.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2024