A Toronto police officer on trial for shooting a teen on an empty streetcar is describing the night the deadly confrontation took place.
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When he testifies at his own trial Wednesday afternoon, Const. James Forcillo is expected to explain for the first time in public why he shot Sammy Yatim in July 2013.
Scot Urquhart was in court in Toronto today, as Forcillo continued to defend himself on charges of second degree murder.
He says he fired a second volley because he thought Yatim was in the process of getting off the streetcar to continue what he perceived to be an imminent attack.
Why were no shots fired in the Kensington Market “drug rip-off”, Forcillo’s lawyer Peter Brauti asked. He has told the jury that he was legally justified because he believed Yatim was coming off the streetcar to attack him.
The defence is arguing Forcillo correctly followed and applied his police training throughout the 50-second standoff that ended with Yatim being shot eight times and Tasered.
“The saying among police officers is that at close range a knife can be more risky than a gun”, he said.
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A USA use-of-force expert called by Crown prosecutors has testified that Forcillo had multiple alternatives to lethal force before he shot Yatim, but didn’t use them. At the first sight of Yatim, Forcillo told the court, he was thinking of two things.
