Coroner’s inquest into death of Sammy Yatim set to start in January

A coroner’s inquest for Sammy Yatim, a Toronto teen who was shot by a police officer on an empty streetcar in 2013, is now set to begin next month.

Yatim, 18, was shot by Toronto police Const. James Forcillo – he was hit by two separate volleys of bullets as he stood holding a small knife.

Jurors acquitted Forcillo of second-degree murder related to the first round of shots, which court heard had killed the teen. But the officer was convicted of attempted murder related to the second volley, fired while Yatim was lying on his back.

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Forcillo was sentenced to six and a half years behind bars and was granted full parole in 2020.

The inquest was initially set to begin last year but it was delayed when Forcillo submitted a last-minute motion arguing the proceeding should consider the theory that Yatim was trying to die by “suicide by cop.”

The motion was rejected earlier this year. The inquest, which is mandatory under the Coroner’s Act, is scheduled to begin Jan. 12, 2024 and last 13 days.
Jurors may make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths in the future.

Yatim’s death set off a wave of public outrage after cell phone footage of what happened was posted online.