Many questions need answers in police shooting

It’s difficult to find anything more perplexing than the tragic shooting death of teenager Sammy Yatim, the former Brebeuf College School student. It has caused a great gulf in the community with people lining up to either detest or defend police actions. One web site called the Toronto Catholic Witness Blog posted a story entitled “Sammy Yatim: A victim of the Toronto Gestapo Police.”

Thankfully, the Yatim family, Syriac Orthodox immigrants from Syria, are acting and talking much more sensibly, even in their profound grief. The family has made it clear that they do not hate all police and that police work is no easy task.

The community outrage began after horrific camera-phone videos posted on the Internet showed Toronto police constable James Forcillo shooting nine shots at the knife-wielding Yatim. But trying to understand the tragedy is even more perplexing with each bit of new evidence revealed …