CFN – The rain couldn’t dim the rally for Sammy Yatim, the shooting victim in Toronto who was gunned down by police after wielding a knife on a streetcar Sunday night. If anything was clear watching footage and listening to what people are saying it’s a fear and frustration with how issues with Police are dealt with, and a clear issue of accountability.
The video of the incident has gone viral around the world.
SIU is investigating the incident, but looking at the video of one lone 19 year old boy surrounded by nearly a dozen police officers and the use of the taser after he was shot certainly should be difficult to explain.
There is another rally scheduled for Tuesday August 13, 2013 with a Facebook page set up.
Did you attend the rally? You can post your comments below.
Photos courtesy of Derek Soberall except for Facebook one.
Wow… I can’t believe nine shots had to fired..
There was absolutely no need at all to shoot this young man and if needed one shot would have done it. This is murder in the highest degree and the cop should be put away in prison for this action. This could have been handled differently and using pepper spray and other means. There are plenty of people needing help and many cops do not know how to handle things at all. I won’t forget the case in Vancouver airport where a Polish man was waiting for his mother and was acting out and not knowing how to speak English and the cops shot him to death. That is by no means how to handle situations. Canada is going down the tubes as a violent country like the US.
I Have Watched This Video Multiple Times 19 Years Of Age ?? What Where They Thinking ??? This Child Yes Child Must Have Ben Scared To Death All The Policemen With Guns Drawn In A Strange Town Toronto !! Come On !! Where Was The
Negotiators ?? He Di dent Have A Gun He Had A Knife With No One On The Bus The Only One He Was A Threat To Was Himself
What A bought A K9 ?? Could They Not Have Let The k9 Through The Back Door ?? So…Sad Some one Died For Such A Senseless Reason . My Thoughts And Prayers Go Out To His Family .
Murderers all of them.
The cop who did the shooting had to have serious mental issues of his own. Who in their right mind would murder a kid with so many witnesses standing by? Why the hell did not one of the other twenty-odd cops on the scene shoot the killer after the first shot was fired?
I watched more videos just a few minutes ago and more clear than before. The young man brandished a knife and everyone got off the bus without harm. The cops were at fault especially the one who shot him to death. There was no excuse in that shooting. There are plenty of people who are mentally ill and need help badly. Being from Syria he comes from a completely different way of life and nobody overseas trusts cops so he did not know the laws and kept his knife. He might have had flashbacks of what is going on in his homeland which is very bad. He sure wouldn’t trust the authorities here in Canada nor anywhere of what people are doing to his country and you can’t blame him one bit. I believe very firmly in getting help for people who need it of all kinds and this young man was suffering with lots of problems. Cops out there learn how to treat people and before shooting off your guns do your best to get someone professional help and even a translator when needed.
Jamie and folks on yahoo.ca you will find a man who is 72 years old who was aggressive to his neighbors in Montreal and the police came to his house to get him out. He was a former McGill University professor to show you that mental health can afflict anyone at anytime and anywhere.
The Montreal police force acted very well and if you go on yahoo.ca you will see the video. It took place in Cote Ste Luc. The way that this man was taken out in Montreal it could have been done in a similar fashion in Toronto. The cop in Toronto must have PTSD or something – maybe he might be an Afghanistan veteran and put in as a cop and without the proper training and all wound up. Things have to change for sure or it can become the wild wild west like the US and all their gun loving culture and can lead to a great deal worse.