Hero cop ‘gave himself the space and time’

Experts say the powerful video of Alek Minassian’s arrest reveals a textbook case of an officer defusing danger through a series of life-anddeath choices based on training and a calm mind.

The footage shows an officer who police sources identified as Const. Ken Lam standing up, turning off his siren and talking clearly to the suspect, even as the dead and injured lay along Yonge Street after being struck down by a white rental van.

“This is exactly the type of de-escalation ... and response to these types of confrontations that we hope to see,’’ said Ontario ombudsman Paul Dube.

Lam calmly holstered his revolver, held up his baton and handcuffed Minassian as he lay on the sidewalk.

“He gave himself the space and time. He assessed the threat and realized he had options other than firing his weapon.’’

Dube published a June 2016 report calling for increased police training on defusing dangerous situations after several high-profile deaths of people with mental illnesses who confronted officers.

He said the constable’s actions are a sign that police are gaining from training that includes simulations of tense standoffs with people who are emotionally unstable.

Sammy Yatim’s death in July 2013 in Toronto _ where the mentally ill man was shot multiple times as officers surrounded an empty streetcar he was on _ helped prompt reforms. In recent years at least one day has been added to Toronto police in-service training on de-escalation and “dealing with people in crisis,’’ said Mike McCormack, president of the police union in Toronto.

The program is part of a mandatory three-day training for all officers that incorporates crisis communication, deescalation and containment measures.

“A major component of this training includes a variety of scenarios that are designed to evaluate officer’s skills in effectively communicating with people in crisis and those who are suffering from a possible mental disorder,’’ said an email from the union.

Meanwhile, recruits at the Ontario Police College are now receiving more training, as are a number of police forces around the province, though it’s yet to be a provincewide standard, said Dube.

Christian Leuprecht, a professor at Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., who studies policing and security issues, said Lam’s actions were “textbook’’ examples of the latest approaches.

The result is a suspect who is now in custody and who may be able to shed light on why the devastating incident occurred, he said.

At a news conference Tuesday, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said: “Our officer defaulted to his training and as a result we have successful outcomes.’’