Sammy Yatim’s family is upset over news reports that the teen was struck by eight bullets the night he was killed by a Toronto police officer.
Widely viewed footage of the fatal July 27 shooting shows an officer, identified by the SIU as Const. James Forcillo, firing nine shots at Yatim as he stood alone on board a streetcar holding a small knife. But investigators have never confirmed how many of the bullets found their mark.
On Thursday the Toronto Sun, citing an anonymous source, reported that eight of the nine shots hit Yatim.
Thursday afternoon Rania Walker, a spokesperson for the family, released a brief statement saying Yatim’s relatives didn’t know if the Sun story was true because they still don’t have all the details of his death.
“The Yatim family has no knowledge or information to verify any of the reports being circulated today about the circumstances surrounding Sammy’s death,” the statement read. “The family have not been provided with a copy of the Coroners report [sic].”
“They are upset and most distressed by this news as none of this information had been previously disclosed to the family and they are unclear about how this information has come to light, or if there is any truth to it. They hope to get more information to clarify what is being reported.”
The number of bullets fired at the 18-year-old has been a source of anger for those who believe his death was the result of the use of excessive force by the police. At rallies organized since the shooting, some protesters wore black shirts bearing the young man’s picture and the words “9 shots…?”
How many times Yatim was hit could also play a role in whether Forcillo is convicted for the killing. Forcillo was arrested and charged with second degree murder on Tuesday, but released the same day on $510,000 bail.
The family was not answering questions Thursday. Neither Forcillo’s lawyer nor a lawyer hired by the Yatim family immediately returned a request for comment.
Laura Blondeau, a spokesperson for the coroner’s office, said that the family has not been given a copy of the coroner’s report because it is not yet completed. When it is, the results will be disclosed to the family and the Special Investigations Unit, the agency in charge of investigating the shooting. Blondeau would not give a timeline for when the report will be done.
Blondeau said she couldn’t confirm if the Sun report was true because by law, the coroner only reveals such information to law enforcement agencies or relatives. She was adamant that the information about the eight shots was not leaked by anyone in the coroner’s office, but couldn’t say where it came from.
“That’s a good question and I don’t have the answer for that,” she said.
