A six-year veteran Toronto police officer was suspended with pay after he fatally shot a knife-wielding 18-year-old with a stun gun in an empty streetcar last Saturday evening, the Christian Science Monitor reported on Tuesday. As a result, hundreds of people protested the shooting and the victim was identified as Sammy Yatim.
"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," Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair told reporters. "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. I am also seeking answers to those important questions," Blair added.
Reportedly the officer fired at least nine shots into the Toronto streetcar, near Trinity Bellwoods park at about midnight on Saturday evening. Yatim, who reportedly was wielding a knife, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and a "conducted energy weapon was also deployed."
Mike McCormack, who leads the police union, said the officer involved in the shooting is "devastated."
"He's just overwhelmed by the magnitude of everything," he said. McCormack added that the public shouldn't jump to conclusions before investigators collect all the facts.
On a provincial level, André Marin, Ontario's ombudsman, said that his office would also be conducting a review of the incident.
"It's important that I look at it from a provincial angle, and that's what we're considering right now," said Marin. "The government of Ontario ... has the ability to issue guidelines and directions to police services on de-escalating conflict. We're going to have a discussion tomorrow to decide whether or not we should launch an investigation into whether or not those guidelines are sufficient."
The case remains under investigation.
