Suicide By Cop

On April 30, 2018, the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal by Toronto Police Constable James Forcillo.  The officer was found guilty of attempted murder in connection with the shooting death of teenager Sammy Yatim in 2013.  He was sentenced to six years in prison.  Forcillo appealed his conviction and sentence on a number of grounds including the judge's decision not to allow evidence regarding the defence theory that Yatim was trying to commit suicide by cop.  This is the final episode of this series.  Please let me know what you thought of the podcast and the case.  You can reach me at 1995podcast@gmail.com on Twitter @1995_podcast and Facebook @1995podcast.  Thanks for listening kk  

Toronto Police Constable James Forcillo is now behind bars.  His bail was revoked after he was caught living with his new fiancé.   Forcillo will remain in custody until his appeal continues in April 2018. Forcillo's wife stood by his side throughout the trial.  They have since filed for divorce and he is now engaged to a woman he met while he attended college in California. 

Lawyers for Constable James Forcillo appeared in court this week to argue his appeal.  The Toronto Police Officer was convicted of attempt murder in the shooting death of teenager Sammy Yatim.  His lawyers say Forcillo's conviction should be overturned or a new trial should be held.  This episode runs down what happened in court and what happens next.

On this episode a closer look at the phenomenon known as Suicide By Cop and why the defence is appealing the judge's decision to exclude evidence about its theory that Sammy Yatim was trying to provoke police to shoot him the night he died.  Also, a closer look at some of the other reasons the defence is appealing Constable James Forcillo's conviction. 

In October 2015, a trial began for Toronto Police Constable James Forcillo.  In a rare move, the Crown had charged him with 2nd degree murder and attempted murder in the shooting death of 18 year old Sammy Yatim.  The trial was the first time the public would hear from Forcillo about why he fired 9 shots that night.  In the end, the verdict surprised and confused everyone.   

After 18 year-old Sammy Yatim was shot and killed by a Toronto Police officer, the public had many questions.  Why did the officer shoot him so many times?  Why didn't the officer shoot him in the leg or somewhere else non-life threatening.  This episode takes a look at how police officers are trained in an effort to answer those questions.

This episode takes a look at the people touched by this case.  Sammy Yatim was an 18-year-old Syrian immigrant trying to fit in to a new life in Toronto. 31 year old police constable James Forcillo is a married father of 2 young girls.  Their lives collided tragically in July 2013 when Yatim was shot to death by Forcillo on a Toronto streetcar.  

In 2013, a Toronto Police Officer shot and killed a teenager armed with a knife on a streetcar.  Videotaped footage showing the officer firing 9 times at Sammy Yatim caused public outrage.  The officer would go on trial and be found guilty of attempted murder.  But this fall his lawyers will argue before the Ontario Court of Appeal that there was a miscarriage of justice when the trial judge refused evidence that the teen was on a mission to commit suicide by cop.  This podcast is written and produced by Kathy Kenzora who is also host of a podcast called 1995.