Toronto Police Const. James Forcillo has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of teenager Sammy Yatim.
Yatim, 18, was shot after a stand-off on a Toronto streetcar. The incident was caught on tape by a number of bystanders. The shooting also sparked a number of protests and outrage in Toronto.
Read the SIU's press release below:
Mississauga (19 August, 2013) --- The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has reasonable grounds to believe that a Toronto Police Service (TPS) officer committed a criminal offence in relation to the shooting death of 18-year-old Sammy Adib Yatim in July of 2013. Director Scott has caused a charge of Second Degree Murder contrary to s. 235(1) of the Criminal Code to be laid against the officer.
The incident took place on a TTC streetcar around midnight on July 26-27, 2013.
A warrant was issued this morning for the arrest of TPS Constable James Forcillo.
Because the arrest warrant was just issued, Cst Forcillo has not been arrested at this point. An updated news release will be issued and tweeted as soon as there are any material developments.
The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. Under the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU must consider whether an officer has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation depending on the evidence, lay a criminal charge against the officer if appropriate or close the file without any charges being laid report the results of any investigations to the Attorney General.
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