We don’t need a scapegoat

Re: Murder charge in Toronto shooting no victory for justice, Aug. 20.

Christie Blatchford makes a valid point in her column, but I think she also partially misses it. It is not always easy to judge an actor. Sammy Yatim’s behaviour, objectively viewed, was completely unjustifiable. However, we do not know what was affecting his mind at the time he was acting, nor do we know the degree of real responsibility he bore for those actions.

Similarly, I would argue, it is impossible to objectively justify the shooting. However, the officer who fired the shots probably believed he was justified.

We need to have a very serious investigation into how police officers should respond to agitated individuals and when they should draw guns, let alone use them. In my opinion, none of the officers present at the shooting of Sammy Yatim has much to be proud of.

There is a tendency to judge the actions of police officers harshly or leniently, simply because they are police officers. We must set aside those tendencies and take an honest look at police training and what can be done to counter-balance the psychology and behaviour that results from membership in such a tight-knit group. I do not think this was a case of a “bad apple,” since apparently there were about 20 police officers present, none of whom attempted to defuse the situation. We do not need a scapegoat.

I sense that if only one or two officers had responded, Yatim would probably be alive, and Const. James Forcillo and his family would not be living a nightmare.

BRUCE F. SIMPSON, Ottawa