ipl-logo

Sammy Yatim Case Analysis

1126 Words5 Pages

In today’s modern society, many feel that is okay for a police officer can kill a man armed with a harmful weapon at any cost. On many news channels, there are various amounts of articles and reports about a police officer committing this act. Even though a police officer has the right to take action against an armed man, this could be argued in many circumstances. In the 2013, Sammy Yatim was a young adult with a mental illness and was armed with a weapon on a streetcar in Toronto. Yatim was confronted by Const. James Forcillo, who took action against Yatim, shot multiple times and killed him. After an extensive trial, Const. James Forcillo was convicted with attempted murder and no additional charges were laid against him. For the reason …show more content…

In the past few years, there have been some tragic outcomes for police cases involving individuals with a mental illness. Before the Sammy Yatim case, there have been cases involving; Michael Eligon, Sylvia Klibingaitis, Robert Dziekanski, and Paul Boyd. Each of these individuals posed a threat to the community and each also had a mental illness, and initially shot by a police officer. A recent case that has been raising awareness for police shootings resulting death involving an individual with a mental illness is the Sammy Yatim case. As like the other related cases, Yatim had a mental illness and posed a threat to the community. Const. James Forcillo was the police officer who took charge against Yatim and shot him a total of nine times. Many would argue that the first three shots were to paralyze Yatim and keep him on the floor of the streetcar, although the other six shots were unnecessary. It was proven that, Yatim had consumed about 3-4 types of illicit drugs and had a mental illness. With Yatim on a dosage of multiple drugs and having a mental illness Forcillo and the rest of his unit should have taken charge easily …show more content…

There are many early legal systems although one that should have played a role in this verdict was mosaic law. Mosaic law is one of the greatest influences on Canadian law and it is fixated in the bible and can also be known as the ten commandments. One of the mosaic laws that relates to this case is, “Thou shalt not kill”. Under the mosaic law, it was forbidden to commit murder and those who did would receive a punishment. The Sammy Yatim case should be the same and the charges should follow the mosaic law. Forcillo got the minimum amount of charges he could get which makes the verdict too lenient. I believe that, if the mosaic law was one of the biggest influences to our law that the charges should have been followed. The influence of the early legal system helps the judges look back to their decision on Forcillo’s verdict and makes them analyse the real impact Forcillo’s actions had, in the future for the

Show More
Related
420 Words | 2 Pages

Sandra Belanger, videotaping across the street, watched the standoff unfold. "I wanted people to see what police were doing, how hard they were trying to get him to give up," she said. Police said Zambrano made his way through an duplex and was hiding in a closet to ambush officers. He burst out and shot a trooper, and then officers returned gunfire, killing him.

Read More
377 Words | 2 Pages

On April 15, 1865 Abraham Lincoln died. On that day, it started a chase of Lincoln’s killers and henchmen. Lincoln’s killer was John Wilkes Booth and the helpful associate was George Atzerodt, David Herold, and Lewis Powell. Atzerodt was going to assassinate the Vice President, Andrew Johnson, David Herold was Booth’s navigator around Washington, and Lewis Powell was going to assassinate secretary William H. Seward but failed in doing so. This is about Mary Surratt and Dr. Samuel Mudd.

Read More
1335 Words | 6 Pages

Former St. Louis officer Jason Stockley found not guilty in murder case. On December 20, 2011 officer Jason shot and killed Anthony Lamar Smith after a police chase. Stockley and his partner Brian Bianchi, tried to stop Smith after a suspected drug sale in a parking lot. After being confronted smith decided to take off and after a three-minute chase throughout the streets of St Louis, Stockley and his partner decided to ram into the back of the victim’s car causing him to lose control and crash. After the car was stopped, Stockley and his partner approached Smith's vehicle, finding him alive.

Read More
817 Words | 4 Pages

Leon Czolgosz told his lawyers and the judge that he did not want to plead innocent or mentally unstable because he killed the President of the United States for him and his “working” enemies. In the PBS video, it states that, “At the funeral of our now late President McKinley, there were screaming out hurting words about the President and his family that they had to be arrested and taken in to custody for rioting.”

Read More
424 Words | 2 Pages

He was murdered by James R. Fryer. At age 21, James Fryer was one of the murders. His code name was “J.R”. He shot all of

Read More
1486 Words | 6 Pages

On December fourteenth of 2012, Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and shot twenty-six kids and teachers using a .223 Caliber Bushmaster Model XM15 assault rifle. By definition, a mass shooting has to consist of at least four victims, therefore, mass shootings occur every day while only the major incidents make national news. This particular shooting affected many and will forever have in imprint on gun laws, the safety of schools, and the part mental health plays. The multipath model can be applied to Adam explaining what might have led to the massacre. Adam was diagnosed with a mild form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Read More
862 Words | 4 Pages

Christopher Abernathy was found guilty of the rape and murder of a fifteen year old girl in 1987. Although it was almost thirty years later, Abernathy was luckily released in 2015 when forensic evidence revealed that he did not commit the crime. In the federal court system, everyone expects justice to be served to those who have the right to it, even though that is not always the case. Many people have been wrongfully convicted of serious crimes and given sentences that kept them imprisoned for years or worse. It took some time, but in the end Abernathy is one of many who received their justice.

Read More
255 Words | 2 Pages

With this in mind, the shooting of twenty-two year old Amadou Diallo, an African immigrant, involved four officers of the Bronx Street Crimes Unit who fired 41 shots at him, but only 19 shots actually hit (). Not to mention, Amadou was unarmed and had no criminal record (). The police officers believed he was the rape suspect they were looking for and mistakenly identified his wallet as a gun (). On the other hand, the only way police are obligated to shoot or kill an individual is when an armed suspect chooses to refuse give up a weapon or threatens the safety of others. So if Amadou was unarmed, why did he come across 19 bullets?

Read More
981 Words | 4 Pages

Destroying the Civil Rights Rodney King and Oscar Grant cases both have racial injustice. Rodney king was in a high speed chase, he was caught; therefore, the officers pulled him out of the car and beat him. A couple of police Officers were detaining Oscar Grant then another officer shot him in the back. The beating and shooting of people, because of racial issues can and will defeat the purpose of civil rights.

Read More
591 Words | 3 Pages

The Nashville Police Department stated at one point Clemmons had the gun in his hand and refused to drop it, which prompted Officer Lippert to feel he was in danger causing him to shoot Clemmons three times (Cardenas, Alund, & Sawyer, 2017). During the shooting incident Clemmons was struck twice in his lower back and once in the left hip (Cardenas, Alund, & Sawyer, 2017). Clemmons later died in surgery at Vanderbilt Hospital (Cardenas, Alund, & Sawyer, 2017). The public response to the incident included tremendous skepticism, because of how the incident was initially reported. The community was concerned that a white police officer was involved in the shooting of a black man, who appeared to be trying to runaway from the officer.

Read More
635 Words | 3 Pages

One of the most controversial subjects not only in the realm of law enforcement, but in the United States today is that police are out of control with their “use of force” tactics. It is always a tragedy when someone has to lose their life at the hand of police, but sometimes a little respect and compliance can go a long way. The case with Eric Garner is no different. “On July 17,2014 in Staten Island in New York, Eric Garner was approached by NYPD officers about selling illegal cigarettes. At this point Garner becomes very irritable yelling at police for always trying to arrest him over petty deviant acts.

Read More
1405 Words | 6 Pages

Use of Deadly Force Use of deadly force has been utilized by police officers all over the United States, misconceptions from our society is that the use of deadly force automatically equates to excessive force. “The law does not require police officers to utilize the absolute minimum force necessary in a threat, only that the level of force be reasonable to control a deadly threat” (Miller, 2015). This in itself is very true, this kind of information needs to be conveyed to our communities as it could change the next encounter someone has with a police officer. Throughout the course of this paper I will be examining the April 30, 2007 Supreme Court of the United States No. 05-1631 Timothy Scott, v. Victor Harris, I will examine the elements of the case against Minnesota’s Statutes 609.066 authorized use of deadly force by peace officers under 609.066s1 and 609.066s2.

Read More
1575 Words | 7 Pages

Diallo was shot at 41 times by four plainclothes officers. The officers began shooting when Diallo reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet-which they thought was a gun. (Thompson) All four officers were charged with second degree murder, and all four officers were acquitted. The reaction to the verdict was not volatile, and there were small demonstrations in Albany at the courthouse, and the Bronx, where he was shot. On the night of the acquittal, Diallo’s parents, as well as Reverend Al Sharpton pleaded for calm-which is not unfamiliar in these cases.

Read More
427 Words | 2 Pages

This happened at night in St. Louis, Missouri. He heard commotion near his home and went outside with his issued police weapon to help. One of the officers did not recognize him and shot him in the arm; “friendly fire”. Another example is Michael Brown who was killed by a white officer in August 2014.

Read More
1030 Words | 5 Pages

[ Imagine this scenario: you are complying with the police that are screaming at you, guns pointed at you, screaming “please don 't shoot” and trying your best to do what the police are asking. Daniel Shaver was an unarmed man fatally shot for no good reason. He was complying with the police officers orders and was begging for his life, screaming “please don’t shoot,” before he was fatally shot 5 times. Unfortunately, this is just one example of police brutality, an instance when police use unnecessary force when either they are unarmed or are complying with orders. Today I want to tell you of the injustice of police brutality, the people it affects, and how just asking the right questions could make sure that police are punished for their crimes.

Read More

More about Sammy Yatim Case Analysis

Open Document