TORONTO — Ten years after her son was fatally shot by police on an empty Toronto streetcar, Sammy Yatim's mother is still fighting for justice.
Eighteen-year-old Yatim was shot by Const. James Forcillo on July 27, 2013 – cellphone footage of the incident posted online set off a wave of public outrage and calls for reform to use of lethal force by police.
Forcillo was convicted of attempted murder in Yatim's death and sentenced to six and a half years in prison. He was granted full parole in early 2020.
A long-awaited inquest into Yatim's death was set to start last November but continues to be delayed after Forcillo argued in a last-minute motion that it should examine the possibility Yatim died by "suicide by cop" – a theory rejected by the presiding coroner.
On the 10th anniversary of her son's death, Sahar Bahadi says the justice system has failed her family and she is still seeking change in policing.
Ontario's ombudsman says the province has been slow to implement a new de-escalation model for police forces, as well as many other recommendations made in the wake of Yatim's death.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2023.
The Canadian Press
