Murder, The Only Choice

Police Brutality: “One of several forms of police misconduct which involves undue violence by police members. Although illegal, it can be performed under the colour of law.”  However, it doesn’t happen a lot in Canada right? America is where all the racial discrimination and bias happens right? America is where all the rude, racist, people reside [in] right? America is where all the police officers don’t know how to do their job properly and just start firing off at anyone, especially POC right?  Because Canada is simply too good in the eyes of the entire world. We preach equality, freedom of expression, and we have granted everyone equal rights, whether that be in terms of basic human rights and freedoms, or something else. Canada could just never have something as severe and disturbing as police brutality and wrongful policing exist in the country of multiculturalism and diversity…

Still think it doesn’t exist in Canada? What about the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry report, that was filed in 2012, that stated that authority figured had allowed the serial killing of many Indigenous peoples Vancouver’s Downtown East-side for many years? What about the Ontario police officer that was convicted for posting racial and bigotry comments against the murder of an Indigenous woman? Or better yet, Sammy Yatim’s case, in which his cry for help was answered by 9 bullets to his body fired by those that were meant to protect us from such things?

Sammy Yatim. Say his name. Know his name. Remember his name. He is not just another face on the news nor is he just another number added to a growing daily statistics of those killed when policing goes wrong. He was not just a name, a face, a number, no. He was a person. Who lived a life that fell short, victim to the flawed system that allows for our so-called protectors to allow for such things to happen, and to participate in them. 

For those that do not know of Sammy Yatim’s case, he was an 18 year-old Toronto male that was shot dead on July 27, 2013. He was on an empty streetcar on Dundas Street, high on Ecstasy, with a switchblade/pocketknife after he had exposed himself to the passengers. After seeing that, there was no doubt that they, including the driver, fled out of the streetcar and unto the streets. Now, Sammy was alone (and high) on the streetcar, and about 1 minute later after being called on to the scene, police officer James Forcillo fired 3 shots into Yatim’s body. The first bullet had struck his heart, the second had sundered his spine, paralyzing him, and the last one had fractured his right arm. All it took was a minute and 3 bullets for Yatim to be dead on the spot. But the story doesn’t end here. No. Just to make sure this “dangerous person” didn’t have an ounce of life in him, 6 more shots were fired. In court, Forcillo stated that Yatim had tried to get back up and grab the knife, hence why he had shot again. But then that would raise the question: Was one not enough? Even if Forcillo had thought Yatim was going to attack [again], a blank shot or one to the leg/arm could have been fired as a warning, not an extra six bullets.

Aside from that, in the video footage we can see that what Forcillo had said was a lie. He thought that Yatim was trying to grab his knife and get back up, but as you all can see, he was not and could not do either of those things, and thus why Forcillo had fired off even more bullets. Without any commands or orders from headquarters, without a second thought, without hesitation, Forcillo took it upon himself to murder an innocent teen that was already dead. He was the only officer that had shot his weapon. What was even more shocking was the fact that he did not even wait for any back-up to first come, and then handle the situation. Not to mention the fact they, the regular police officers, were equipped with guns but they were waiting for their sheriff who had a taser. Kind of makes you think about this weird system, no? I mean, one taser against a few guns? As if a taser, one that merely shocks you temporarily, is more dangerous than a weapon that can actually take away your life in three seconds. Forcillo was suspended a few days later, with pay.

As for the court procedures, in July 2014, an $8 million lawsuit was filed against the Toronto Police Service by Yatim’s family. I will not go too much into detail about the procedures, as it was quite a long case. Instead, a timeline is provided during and after Yatim’s death to provide more insight.

Just the shock of this whole incident has shook Toronto to the core. We would have never thought that the day where we would need protection from our own protectors would surface. But it did. And Yatim’s fight for justice will forever live in the hearts of all of us. He will be a legacy that we will carry on, until the system changes itself and it’s ways. Until police officers are better trained to handle situations like this. Our police are trained to deescalate situations verbally, not physically like in Yatim’s case. Maybe instead of blaming Yatim, how he shouldn’t have been high on some drug, or pulled out a switchblade and was presumably “threatening” other passengers, we should be looking towards [our] authority figures. To the legal system which allows regular officers to carry life-threatening weapons right on their hips, but have higher-level officers carry tasers. To the system that allows murderers to get away simply because they said “it was an act of self-defense.” Was it really though? How can you claim it was self-defense if the person you were defending yourself was already dead before you fired the second shots of bullets just to make sure?

Police brutality and wrongful policing may have always been around, but it is becoming a regular and normal thing far too quickly. If our officers can be better trained to respond to such cases in a more effective way, in which neither party is wounded, we can reduce the number of situations like Yatim’s that arise. Maybe if we start questioning our “protectors” rather than trying to blame the opposite side, then we can stop innocent lives from being taken. The public is scared and are voicing their concerns about the lack of restraint that officers show, and if that doesn’t scare you, the fact that people who are trained to protect our society are actually the ones taking innocent lives, well, I don’t know what will. Our [legal] system has become so flawed and unjust that those who [are supposed to] restrict violence are those that are using it themselves. And in this situation, obviously shooting an innocent man 9 times was the answer. Murder was the only choice. A verbal deescalation could not be sought out [after]. Waiting for the taser was not even an option. No. Murder was the only choice.

Well I’m here to say that Sammy Yatim’s fight for justice will not go unheard, nor will it go in vain. Until those responsible are not [properly] accounted for their actions, we will not let this go. Until our system can see the error in it’s way, we will not let Yatim become another name, another face, another number. Until people realize that police brutality is highly prevalent in Canadian society as well, and needs to be taken care of before it escalates even more, no one is safe from our “protectors.” All I will say is this: that no conviction, no fine, and no jail sentence will ever bring back Sammy Yatim. Murder is murder, no matter what, and it is not manslaughter.

XO,

Sam ♡