On Tuesday August 13, 2013, the people of Toronto held another rally calling for accountability in the shooting of eighteen year old Sammy Yatim – and other victims of police violence.
A group of roughly 400 people gathered at noon at Dundas Square in the middle of Toronto, before marching to Toronto Police headquarters where a Toronto Police Service Board meeting was taking place.
Here, Reuben Abib, of the National Conference of Black Lawyers and the Black Action Defence Committee told the crowd, “In 1988, when the Black Action Defence Committee was formed, we did so with the ideal that we would stop the police’s indiscriminate killing,” he said.
“It is now 2013. Young Sammy, who wasn’t even alive when we formed, is dead…Every single policeman you see, every clip he has on him has 15 rounds. Every time they pull their weapon, it’s attempted murder. They do not shoot to wound, they do not shoot to scare, they only shoot to kill,” he ended.
Earlier that Tuesday, the Ontario Federation of Labour held a news conference to argue the importance of having an independent investigation into Ontario police training, policies and practices.
Executive vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, Irwin Nanda, stated that the Special Investigations Unit, which functions as the police watch dog for the province of Ontario, must be up to investigation and review.
Nanda stated firmly that Yatim’s death was the result of a, “total breakdown of the policing system.”
“Literally decades of reports, inquests and recommendations are gathering dust on police station shelves as the bodies of victims are piling up,” he said.
This second demonstration occurred on the heels of Toronto Police Chief, Bill Blair’s, announcement – bowing to public pressure –- that he was appointing retired justice Dennis O’Conner to conduct an investigative review of the policies and practices around the use of force by the Toronto police.
Many did not want to wait for the review, but demanded that a overhaul on how the police handle “disturbed individuals” should occur quickly, before there is more death at the hands of the Toronto police.
There is already a coroner’s inquest starting in October 2013, into the deaths of three people who may have been suffering from mental illness when they were killed in altercations with Toronto police.
Others noted that the appointment by Chief Blair of Dennis O’Conner was inappropriate due to the fact that O’Conner is a member of a law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais which has acted for Toronto officers in civil suits in the past.
In another chance to review what led to the death of eighteen year old Sammy Yatim at the hands of the Toronto police – it took nine bullets and two tazer blasts to kill the teenager as he stood on an empty TTC street car, armed with a small knife – on Friday August 9, 2013, André Marin (Ontario’s Ombudsman) confirmed through Twitter that he was launching a probe into the police’s actions that led to Yatim’s death.
At the press conference a day earlier, Marin said, “It seems to be like Groundhog Day. Inquest after inquest, police shooting after police shooting.”
Constable James Forcillo, a six-year veteran of the Toronto police is accused of killing Yatim. Forcillio has been suspended with pay.
Yatim is not the first person to die from death-by-cop. Most of the families are still waiting for justice.
*Photo of the Tuesday anti-police brutality rally by Kevin Konnyu
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