Minister to make announcement on police use of force Tuesday
Posted August 26, 2013 9:07 pm.
Last Updated January 21, 2016 2:19 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services is expected to make an announcement about the options available to front-line police officers when it comes to use of force, following the police killing of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim in Toronto a month ago.
Madeleine Meilleur is scheduled to speak at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Coroners Courts in Toronto.
Reports say she’s expected to announce that all front-line officers in Ontario will be allowed to carry tasers if their police forces so choose.
Police practices were called into question after the death of Yatim, who died July 27 after being shot multiple times by police on an empty streetcar in the city’s west end. His death was captured on surveillance and cellphone videos in which nine shots can be heard. The videos sparked public outrage and massive protests in Toronto, and prompted action from local police.
Earlier this month, Toronto police chief Bill Blair appointed retired justice Dennis O’Connor to assist the force in its review of all police practices, including the use of force.
Ontario’s ombudsman has also launched an investigation, probing what kind of direction the provincial government provides to police for defusing conflict situations. The province’s police watchdog is also investigating.
Const. James Forcillo, 30, was charged with second-degree murder last week.
With files from The Canadian Press
