Toronto Police Incorrectly Handled the Sammy Yatim Situation

My opponent has given his opening argument that focuses a great deal on the passengers that were on the Toronto street car. However, the issue that we are discussing, is: did Toronto police incorrectly handle the Sammy Yatim situation? I have illustrated in my opening argument what I mean by "incorrect". We are focusing on the actions of the police, not the passengers that fled the street car without receiving any physical harm. Anything being discussed besides the actions of Toronto police or the 18 year old Sammy Yatim is excess information. Firstly, to veer off the main topic a little bit, that is, "assess the situation from the very beginning.From far before the police had arrived at the scene" as my opponent has stated. If Sammy Yatim wanted to cause harm, or threaten to stab someone or even point his knife at someone - which he did not ("he didn"t angle it or thrust it at anyone, according to the last eyewitness to interact with him (http://www.theglobeandmail.com...) - he certainly did have the chance, but he refrained from doing so. Similar questions are raised in my mind that match this quote by The Toronto Star: "their recollections of his behaviour raise questions. Why didn"t Yatim stab people when he had the opportunity? What caused him to expose himself? Why did he stay on the streetcar, and even sit down, after all the passengers fled(http://www.thestar.com...)? On the same point, I'd like to address my opponents statement "ladies and gentlemen, here with consider a man so apparently insane, so insane that he might perhaps suddenly throw his knife right at your neck regardless of your army of armed cops." Sammy Yatim would have caused harm if that's what his motive was, but it was not; and my opppnent even stated "he had seemingly no motive." My opponent has cited a quote that confirms Sammy Yatim was not an imminent physical threat: "If you watch the video debate, you will notice a pattern in what the witnesses are saying. The all agree that the man completely terrorised them emotionally but terrorised no one physically." If Sammy Yatim wanted to stab someone or throw his knife at someone near by, he had multiple opportunities. In the expecting streetcar full of oblivious passengers, the people in the same streetcar when he exposed his knife and created fear, bystanders, or even Toronto police, but he did not, and this argument is not based off of what ifs or speculation; this debate is discussing "Did Toronto Police Incorrectly Handle the Sammy Yatim Situation?" The man now dead, Sammy Yatim, whom exposed himself, has nothing to do with the actions committed by police. "Witnesses said Yatim had a knife and had exposed himself on the streetcar, but allowed all the occupants to leave (http://www.thestar.com...)." Secondly - now that we will be focusing on the relevant and main issue relating to the actions taken by Toronto police- I would like to address my opponents statement "the police force is not some elite superhuman army of law enforcers; they are people just like you and I." Toronto police are certainly not superhuman, but they are certainly not like you and I. Presumably, you are not a police officer, nor am I, so that makes us unlike police officers. Police officers go through official training at police academies to learn the law and how to be officers of the law. Police officers are expected to experts in keeping the peace, de-escalation techniques, and protection (http://en.wikipedia.org...). Police officers have undergone training and classes to learn how to handle certain types of situations they may face as police offers. Since we have not undergone official police training, we are unlike police officers, and we are not held to the same expectations as police officers. Toronto police incorrectly handled the Sammy Yatim situation. In the video one can see nine officers, then moments later another arrives, making ten in total. The officers on scene did not have patience to attempt de-escalation techniques, nor wait for a interrogate to arrive on scene to talk to the isolated Sammy in an surrounded and isolated street car with no one else on board. The police acted with aggression and again, do not even attempt de-escalation methods. Instead "it appears that Sammy took about half-a-step forward, which was apparently reason enough for a police officer to unload nine bullets at him (http://www.vice.com...)" and he was not wielding the knife towards anyone nor threatening to stab officers (http://www.thestar.com...). Police acted immediately with deadly force by firing nine shots at the 18 year old, and then proceeded to move in and tase Sammy. "The policeman shot him three times but then the man tried to get up again, not once letting go of the knife. Therefore the policeman had to shoot him more times (noting that none were aimed at vital organs). They then waited for him to lay still before tasering him as soon as his hand holding the knife went limp. They had to do what they had to do in that situation." There is not any video evidence or articles that can confirm this. "The man who shot him was very scared of this man and in a state of extreme confusion and fear." The police officer who prematurely shot 18 year old Sammy Yatim was Const. James Forcillo, and he is an a six-year veteran of the Toronto force. He was not scared of this isolated 18 year old, and he was not in extreme confusion or fear. He was a six year veteran who is trained to properly handle situations such as this once, but proceeded to mishandle it by firing nine shots without sufficient reason and then tased Sammy who was on the ground bleeding (http://news.nationalpost.com...). Another way in which police officers mishandled the situation with the 18 year old Sammy Yatim, is that out out the ten officers, not one attempted to clear out pedestrians from the surrounding area. There was a great chance that stray bullets could have missed Sammy and struck bystanders who police did not clear from the area. In conclusion, 18 year old Sammy Yatim could still be alive today if it wasn't for the Toronto police on scene mishandling the situation. If de-escalation techniques, or if police waited for a negotiator, there is a good chance that Sammy Yatim could have been talked down, but Toronto police did not wait and proceeded to fire nine shots at Sammy who was not fighting back or threatening police. Toronto police omitted the safety of bystanders and passing traffic by not clearing out the area and se