James Forcillo, Cop who Killed Sammy Yatim, Admits Perjury, Gets 6 More Months in Jail

Jailed Toronto police officer, James Forcillo, was remanded in custody Friday, May 4, 2018, to May 31, 2018 to face charges of perjury, obstruct justice and breaching his bail conditions. Today, a Toronto judge added six months onto Forcillo’s six-year prison sentence. Forcillo plead guilty to perjury, admitting that he lied on a sworn affidavit filed in court. In his affidavit, Forcillo lied by stating that he fully had complied with all his bail conditions of his release. One such condition was that reside with his ex-wife and two daughters throughout the proceedings against him. However, Forcillo was found living at another residence during the proceedings.

Falconers LLP represents the mother of Sammy Yatim, Sahar Bahadi, in a civil law suit, against Constable Forcillo and the Toronto Police Service. The action was issued on October 11, 2013.

On January 29, 2016, a jury delivered a guilty verdict in the trial of James Forcillo in the death of Sammy Yatim.  Forcillo was found guilty of attempted murder, and not guilty of  second degree murder or manslaughter.  Sammy was shot nine times by Constable Forcillo on July 27, 2013, while confined within a TTC streetcar and surrounded by numerous Toronto police officers.  The jury rejected Constable Forcillo’s testimony that Sammy presented a real threat to the officer at the time that he discharged his weapon a further six times while Sammy lay mortally wounded on the floor of the streetcar.  The jury was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Constable Forcillo was guilty of murder.

April 30, 2018: In a unanimous decision, Chief Justice of Ontario George Strathy, Justice David Doherty and Justice Gary Trotter dismissed Constable James Forcillo’s appeal of both his conviction in the 2013 shooting death of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim, and the six-year jail sentence handed down by trial judge Justice Edward Then.

As mentioned in a Toronto star article, “(Forcillo) knew from his training that Mr. Yatim did not pose an imminent threat to anyone merely by re-arming himself with a knife. He knew that he was not entitled to kill Mr. Yatim in these circumstances, yet he proceeded to fire six additional rounds fixed with that lethal intent,” the decision states.

In the News

Toronto cop who shot Sammy Yatim pleads guilty to perjury over false affidavit    The Star, May 31, 2018

James Forcillo has six months added to sentence after pleading guilty to perjury   The Globe and Mail, May 31, 2018

Six months added to James Forcillo’s sentence   Guelph Mercury, May 31, 2018

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