James Forcillo cross examined

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Why did Toronto Police Officer James Forcillo shoot and kill 18 year old Sammy Yatim, two years ago? What options did he consider to end a brief standoff with the knife-wielding teen? And were the nine shots fired from his gun reasonable, and justified?

Those were the questions explored in court today, as Forcillo testified in his own defence, in his trial on charges of second-degree murder.

James Forcillo was on a mission. To convince the court, and the jury that shooting Sammy Yatim nine times was not only reasonable but, under the circumstances, necessary. Under relentless questioning from Crown Attorney Milan Rupic, Forcillo repeatedly swept aside any suggestion that he could have done things differently, on the night that he killed Sammy Yatim. Impatient with suggestions that he made no verbal attempt to calm the knife-wielding teen. Forcillo sarcastically replied “you’re right. I didn’t ask if he wanted a glass of water. ”

Rupic then began to focus on what Forcillo was thinking, when he pulled the trigger nine times:

Rupic: “I’m asking if you knew you were likely to kill Sammy Yatim”
Forcillo: “I am not considering whether these bullets are going to kill him. I’m considering whether or not they’re going to stop him.”

Forcillo then rejected the contention that conversation was necessary for de-escalation: “Pointing a firearm is a form of de-escalation ”

He also rejected pepper spray as an alternative to lethal force. “There’s a saying amongst us : Pepper spray only works on cops.”

But Rupic repeatedly suggested that Forcillo had only one solution to the stand-off in mind and that he couldn’t have known what Sammy Yatim was thinking because he never tried to ask.

Rupic: “….for all you know Sammy Yatim may have taken those last two steps forward in order to de-escalate a situation in which two cops were pointing a gun at him.”
Forcillo: “No. I disagree.”