TORONTO — A woman who was at the back of a Toronto streetcar when a teen pulled out a knife says she thought the youth was going to kill her.
Bridgette McGregor sobbed as she testified at the trial of Const. James Forcillo, who killed the teen on the streetcar a few minutes after panicked passengers rushed off the vehicle.
McGregor says she was with her two sisters and her 12-year-old niece on a summer night in 2013 when they took seats near Sammy Yatim.
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McGregor says she noticed the teen had shifted one of his legs out in front of her but wasn’t concerned until one of her sisters shifted her eyes over to Yatim’s lap.
That’s when McGregor says she noticed Yatim had exposed himself and was holding a knife.
McGregor says that when she tried to leave the area, Yatim told her she wasn’t going anywhere.
READ MORE: Toronto cop believed Sammy Yatim was ‘in it to fight till the end’ on streetcar
She says she then held up her purse in front of her as Yatim came at her with his knife and she says she recalled feeling the thud of the knife against her purse.
The episode triggered screams and a rush towards the front of the streetcar, which eventually stopped to let passengers off while Yatim remained on board.
The teen was killed in a standoff with Forcillo a short while later.
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Forcillo has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and attempted murder in Yatim’s death.
Crown prosecutors argue Forcillo’s actions during the incident weren’t necessary or reasonable. His lawyer contends the officer’s actions were justified and carried out in self-defence.
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