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The video is meaningless without any story to read. Got any news story to go with this so we can tell what is happening beyond the fact that those cops appear to be the lousiest marksmen that I've ever seen in my life?! Nine shots? To hit one person that's trapped in a bus??? Really?? Wow! I could definitely have hit the man in two shots... maybe one. And hit him wherever I wanted to or was told to... No $hi*. -
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013..._shooting.html
Sammy Yatim: Police Chief Blair comments on streetcar shooting
Chief William Blair has commented on the shooting of a young man on a TTC streetcar. He expressed his condolences to Sammy Yatim's family, and said an investigation is underway.
By: Sean Tepper Staff Reporter, Published on Mon Jul 29 2013
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Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair addressed the media this morning regarding the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim on a downtown streetcar early Saturday morning.
“The Special Investigation Unit has invoked their mandate to conduct an investigation and members of the Toronto Police Service will fully co-operate with the SIU in the conduct of their investigation,” he told the room full of media, Monday.
Because of the SIU’s involvement, Blair said he was unable to provide any updates with regards to the investigation, but assured the public that the matter would be fully looked into.
“Like many members of the public I have viewed the videos of this incident. I am aware of the various serious concerns that the public has,” he said. “I know that people are seeking answers to what occurred, why it happened and if anything could have been done to prevent the tragic death of this young man.
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“I am also seeking answers to those important questions.”
On July 27, just after midnight, a man died of a gunshot wound after officers fired at least nine shots into a streetcar at Dundas St. W. near Grace St., close to Trinity Bellwoods Park.
A vigil will be held at the scene Monday evening to protest against police violence. Marchers will meet at Yonge-Dundas Square at 5 p.m. and make their way to Trinity Bellwoods Park, where the vigil will take place at 6:30 p.m.
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Sammy Yatim the latest in a long line of police shootings
The man has been formally identified by Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit as 18-year-old Sammy Yatim.
“I want to assure all the citizens of Toronto of our unwavering commitment to get the answers that they seek,” said Blair. “I am prevented by law from disclosing any information with respect to the incident or the investigation.”
Blair added that he will be launching his own investigation on the matter.
“In addition, the law states that the chief of police must call for an investigation to be conducted,” he said. “The purpose of the chief’s investigation is to review the policy, procedures and training of the service and to determine if [they] were followed. A thorough investigation into the conduct of all members of the service involved in this incident will be conducted.”
The SIU has assigned six investigators and two forensic investigators to investigate the incident.
At this time there is one subject officer and 22 witness officers who have been designated.
According to a SIU press release, there was an interaction between Yatim and police on the Dundas St. streetcar. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and “a conducted energy weapon was also deployed.” He was immediately taken to St. Michael’s Hospital where he died from his injuries.Comment
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Sammy Yatim: Latest in a long line of Toronto police shooting deaths
Sammy Yatim joins a long list of people shot dead by Toronto police during a confrontation.
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This undated Facebook photo shows Sammy Yatim, right, the 18-year-old shot and killed by Toronto Police on a TTC streetcar at Dundas and Bellwoods, with his younger sister Sarah.
By: Curtis Rush News reporter, Published on Mon Jul 29 2013
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Sammy Yatim, an 18-year-old shot dead by Toronto police during a confrontation early Saturday morning, is the latest fatality that calls into question police tactics and training.
Yatim, who was wielding a knife on an empty TTC streetcar, died in a hail of bullets early Saturday morning. A witness video captured nine shots fired by police in 13 seconds.
Early accounts indicate that Yatim was ordered by police to drop the knife and refused.
Unlike some other notable cases, the teen had never shown any signs of mental illness or violence, his family said.
The incident, however, bears a striking resemblance to other police shootings, including the February 2012 death of Michael Eligon, a 29-year-old who suffered from mental illness.
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Eligon was shot on Milverton Blvd., blocks from Toronto East General Hospital. He was carrying two pairs of scissors and was clothed in a hospital gown after fleeing the hospital.
He was surrounded by about a dozen Toronto police officers.
The SIU cleared the Toronto police officer of criminal wrongdoing because it found that the officer had reasonable grounds to fear for his life.
The coroner’s office has called a combined inquest into the deaths of Eligon, Reyal Jardine-Douglas, 25, and Sylvia Klibingaitis, 52.
No date has been announced.
Perhaps the most notable of the inquests was that of Edmond Yu, who was shot and killed in 1997 while threatening officers with a hammer on a TTC bus.
Responding to recommendations from the Yu inquest and others, police created Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams, which are located in many police divisions, but not all of them.
The two-person teams include a plain clothes officer and a psychiatric nurse, but police say they are not equipped to respond to immediate threats of violence.
The inquest also led to stronger links between police and the mental health community and greater consultation with psychiatric patients, who helped develop training scenarios.
As with the death of Yatim, the shooting of Eligon sparked a public backlash against police tactics in how they go about de-escalating a violent situation.
One of the outcomes of the Eligon shooting was the installation of a mobile crisis intervention team around Toronto East General.
Coroner’s inquests into the deaths of Otto Vass and O’Brien Christopher-Reid both recommended that front-line officers in Toronto be given Tasers as an alternative to firearms.
Currently, the weapon can be used only by tactical officers and by front line supervisors.
Here is a list of some other well-known fatalities after confrontations with Toronto police.
Michael Eligon
Eligon, 29, was shot on a suburban street in February 2012. He was carrying a pair of scissors and was clothed in a hospital gown after fleeing Toronto East General Hospital. He was surrounded by about a dozen Toronto police officers.
Sylvia Klibingaitis
On Oct. 7, 2011, the 52-year-old woman was shot dead outside her North York home after wielding a knife in front of police. She had called 911 and told the operator she had a knife and was going to “commit a crime.” Klibingaitis struggled with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychotic delusions.
Reyal Jardine-Douglas
Jardine-Douglas died on August 29, 2010, after he fled from a bus when it was pulled over by police. After his death, his family said the Pickering man suffered from mental illness, including paranoia. A knife was recovered at the scene.
Byron Debassige
On Feb. 16, 2008, Byron Debassige, a 28-year-old schizophrenic, stumbled into a Yonge St. market to steal lemons. He pulled a knife on the store clerk and then made a dash for nearby Oriole Park. Two Toronto police officers arrived and began questioning Debassige, who pulled out an eight-centimetre blade from his pocket and pointed it at them. He refused to drop the knife and moved toward the officers. They shot five times, striking him in the chest.
O’Brien Christopher-Reid
In June 2004, Christopher-Reid, 26, was shot four times by police after allegedly lunging at an officer with a knife. He suffered from profound delusions. An inquest recommended police training include more communication techniques.
Otto Vass
On Aug. 9, 2000, the 55-year-old man was shot dead after he struggled with police officers outside a west-end 7-Eleven.
Tony Andrade
On May 13, 1997, the paranoid schizophrenic victim was shot by police after he came at police with a board. The Crown withdrew a charge of assault against an officer.
Edmond Yu
In February 1997, Edmond Yu was a 35-year-old man who struggled with schizophrenia and had been in and out of hospitals for more than a decade before he was shot and killed while threatening officers with a hammer on a TTC bus.
Wayne Williams
On June 11, 1996, the 24-year-old schizophrenic was gunned down by police in Scarborough after allegedly threatening them with a knife. The inquest recommended a mandatory mental health refresher course for all officers.
Lester Donaldson
On Aug. 9, 1988, the mentally unstable victim was shot dead after waving a knife at an officer. An inquest resulted in 37 recommendations, including the use of pepper spray, education in policing in a multiracial society (Donaldson was black), and a more formal liaison with psychiatric facilities.Comment
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The Toronto police shooting of an 18-year-old wielding a knife on an empty streetcar has left a family shattered and renewed questions about police procedure in “crisis” situations.
Sammy Yatim died of a gunshot wound in hospital after officers fired at least nine shots into the streetcar early Saturday. New witness video shows Yatim standing alone near the front of the TTC vehicle, brandishing a small knife, before police open fire.
His family and community are now demanding answers about why officers felt the lone teenager posed such a threat. A vigil will be held at the scene Monday evening to protest against police violence.
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“We are in very, very difficult times,” said Yatim's father, Nabil, his eyes bloodshot. “He was an average kid, loved by his friends. Now you have totally different versions coming out.”
The Special Investigation Unit is probing the shooting, which took place Saturday just after midnight on a Dundas streetcar near Grace St. Witnesses said Yatim held up a three-inch knife and ordered everyone off the car.
In the witness video, Yatim can be seen standing near the front of the car as police shout, “Drop your weapon!” and “Don't move!” When Yatim appears to move, officers fire three shots. After several seconds, officers fire six additional shots.
Officers can still be heard yelling, “Drop the knife!” after the shots are fired. About 20 seconds later, an officer climbs up the streetcar stairs and the sound of a Taser can be heard.
The teen was rushed to St. Michael's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
As the SIU remained silent on Sunday, family and friends tried desperately to make sense of the death. His uncle, Mejad “Jim” Yatim, said his nephew had been adjusting to Canadian life after emigrating from Syria five years ago.
“Sammy seemed to be flourishing in Canada,” he wrote in an email to the Star. “I have to admit he tried to fit in with his friends. He wore hoodies and wore his pants lower than his father would stomach.”
Yatim's father has lived in Canada since 1968, but his wife and children lived in Syria until the parents divorced five years ago, according to the uncle. Sammy and his sister Sarah, now 16, moved to Toronto to live with their father.
“Sammy used to spend the summers with his mom in Syria until the situation became so dangerous,” he said.
But he said Yatim, who worked at a Sheppard Ave. McDonald's until about six months ago, had never shown signs of mental illness or violence. A bus driver once lodged a complaint against him for having an “attitude,” he said.
“Since when did it become a crime to be a teenager, I ask you?” he said. “And since when does a scrawny 110-pound-something teenager become a threat to a dozen or so brawny policemen, when he is isolated in an empty streetcar that they felt that they had no other choice but to use lethal force?”
Toronto Police are facing intense criticism for the shooting on social media, where outrage has exploded among friends and strangers alike.
A makeshift memorial has sprung up at the scene, and an “emergency vigil” will be held at Dundas St. and Bellwoods Ave. at 6:30 p.m. Monday, to “demand justice for Sammy and an end to police violence,” according to a Facebook event.
Councillor Janet Davis said Yatim's death raises serious questions about police procedures during crises. After the police shooting of 29-year-old Michael Eligon in her Beaches-East York ward last year, she lobbied for additional resources and training for police to deal with the mentally ill.
“It looks as though this young man was shot when he was alone in the streetcar and surrounded by police officers. Was there nothing else that could be done to save his life?” she asked.
On Sunday, Global TV spoke to a traveller on the streetcar stating that Yatim had been exposing himself; CTV reported Yatim had recently moved out of his father's home and into an apartment.
Yatim's father was away on business and returned to Toronto early Saturday morning after learning of his son's death. His mother is believed to still live in Syria.
On the quiet street where Yatim lived, near Sheppard Ave. and Highway 404, neighbours were gripped by grief. One resident burst into tears as she recalled how Yatim dutifully helped clean her yard.
Dorsa Bayrami, who met Yatim three years ago through a family friend, said his friends are in shock.
“He was the sweetest guy, very loving and kind-hearted. If he saw you down about something, he'd come to help you out, ask you why you're sad and make you laugh,” she said.
Yatim just graduated from Brébeuf College, an all-boy Catholic high school in North York, in June and intended to go to college in the fall, said Bayrami.
“He adjusted well in Canada,” she said. “If there's anyone causing harm, Sammy was always the one stopping it. Why would they shoot him?”
According to one eyewitness, before police arrived, the streetcar operator was standing behind the controls while Yatim sat at the front.
“We saw a gentleman in the front right seat, which I took to be the victim,” said witness Markus Grupp. “The operator was kind of hunched over the controls, standing ... All of a sudden, the operator jumps out and the guy sitting in front stands up, holding a knife against his chest.”
Within seconds, police surrounded the streetcar, and Grupp started shooting video on his iPhone. Soon thereafter he heard gunshots.
“It was almost surreal,” he said. “I've played it all in my head about 100 times today.”
TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said the streetcar's security video will not be released, as is policy.
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This is so messed up. Makes me scared living in Toronto and I fear for my son! this was not necessary and it is not like he had a gun. there was nobody around for him to hurt, what did they think 9 shots would have done to the poor kid??? I also heard they tazered him after that to. this is so disgusting.Comment
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Thank you, dahJah.Originally posted by Emperah View Post
I read something like 5 or 6 news stories on it, now that I know what you were talking about.
Mind-boggling. Just mind-boggling. And, like I said before - 9 shots? And a tasering? REALLY?!! smh in disgustComment
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No apparent crisis intervention, just bullets and then the tazer after the shooting.
I'm pretty sure any one of us could have talked that kid off of that street car, given enough time, and most (if not all of us) are not trained to do so like the police are supposed to be.
\o/Comment
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is a sad story yes
a nex sad ting is dat when dem shoot black yutes no one is out in de street
killer cop preotest.jpgComment
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There would have been no one on the street for this kid either if the murder was not caught on video and posted on You Tube where it went viral.Comment
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I tell ya, I have such a hate-on for cops, I can't even say...Originally posted by Emperah View Post
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Not all police are worthy of hate. Some are in it because they genuinely do care about their communities and want to serve and protect, however, as you imply, many are in it for the wrong reasons, like any job I suppose. Frankly some of the best and worst people I personally know are cops.Originally posted by Nunya View PostI tell ya, I have such a hate-on for cops, I can't even say...Comment
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Update: Cop Suspended
Sammy Yatim’s final warning: New audio reveals officer’s hostile words before teen was shot dead by police
A Toronto police officer at the centre of the streetcar shooting of teenager Sammy Yatim has been suspended as enhanced audio taken from the scene reveals an aggressive warning just seconds before nine gunshots were fired.
In the enhanced audio recording made available to theNational Post, it appears police gave Yatim one stark warning just seconds before they opened fire.A single police officer, a six-year uniformed veteran, has been suspended with pay. About 10 officers were on the scene when one or more police officers opened fire on Yatim. The 18-year-old was brandishing a knife up to three inches long alone on a stationary streetcar early Saturday morning near Toronto’s busiest downtown park.
“If you take one step in this direction with that foot …[inaudible] die,” a male police officer appears to tell the teenager. Five seconds later the first three shots ring out.
You can hear the audio if you follow the link to the article.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/07...mises-answers/
The audio was filtered from video of the incident posted on YouTube. There are at least two videos of the shooting, which occurred at about 12:05 a.m. Saturday morning on Dundas West, and Bellwoods Avenue.
Word of the suspension came amid rising tensions over the shooting, as many Torontonians complained on social media and at an ‘emergency vigil’ Monday night that police have become too aggressive, citing multiple shootings in recent years and the G-20 protests of 2010.
Flyers for a demonstration, which began at about Monday night in co-ordination with Yatim’s family, called for “Justice for Sammy! Killer cops off our streets.” The march began at Yonge-Dundas Square and headed down Dundas West to Trinity Bellwoods to the spot where Yatim was shot, and then to 14 Division. Hundreds attended the march, including Yatim’s mother and sister.
More: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/07...mises-answers/Comment
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New footage from another angle:
Trigger happy cops. They could have just tazered him.
Over the past few days, Toronto and the rest of Canada has been granted access to online video recordings of the shooting death of Sammy Yatim, who was killed following a police interaction while brandishing a knife on an empty downtown streetcar.The small video snapshots we've seen – with another, most vivid video coming on Tuesday – paint a picture that has even Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair calling the incident troubling. He is vowing to provide answers, we continue to demand them. But as we do that, we come to our own conclusions.
There is video of the incident shot from a long distance. There is video shot from much closer, captured amid a gathering of passersby walking in front of the camera on occasion. There is other video as well, all of it posted online for the world to see. To judge.
Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack has asked the public to hold judgment until the full story is out. Until the investigation is complete.
He says grainy cell phone video of the incident tells only part of the story. And he is right.
[ Related: Family doesn't blame all Toronto police for shooting, friend says ]
Even a newly-released video, seeming to be a recording from security camera footage, only shares a snapshot, another piece to add to the puzzle. But those pieces look very, very bad.
New footage posted online shows from another angle the incident that left the 18-year-old dead. And while it runs longer than the various videos shot on cell phone cameras and released online, it is the moment of the shooting that it captures most vividly.
In previous footage, someone can be heard shouting "put down the knife" before three gun shots are heard, followed by a pause and six more shots. A brief moment later a Taser is deployed.
The recently-released security footage, shot in black-and-white, is taken from a different angle. In it, viewers can see the person on board the streetcar. They can see the person fall to the ground after the first three gunshots. They can see the person's leg twitch amid the second round of gunfire.Last edited by Tropicana; 07-30-2013, 05:54 PM.Comment
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