I am from Toronto and I just attended a rally for this 18 yr old boy.
He was alone (on the streetcar) and armed with a 3" knife...he was troubled but. was cornered on a streetcar and no danger to anyone, but himself. He was only 18 yrs old.....the police fired 9 shots and killed him....and tazered him after shooting him.....I am appauled....
Where was the crisis team, why didn't they talk him down....he wasn't a danger to anybody....
Why policeman can't shoot to stop someone instead of fatally killing the person is what I don't understand. There had to be a better way to stop someone with mental problems than killing them:(
Exsactly... Diva1 I am so distrought by this conduct...I attended the rally today and it was extremely sad. I sure hope things change (not just in Toronto, but everywhere)!
this is fucking ridiculous. there's no reason to shoot him 9 times, let alone 1. i think im not sure but he was on a bus or something and he was all alone on it, i don't think he killed anyone or held anyone hostage, this is just stupid and it's so sad
Thank you snowflake for your opinion.... I too think this was uneccessary...and it was caught on tape thankfully....something needs to change...something needs to be done!
I'm from Toronto too...I just watched the video. It's disgusting what that officer chose to do. And all of them just watching the shooting continue. It's great you attended the rally Majik
Thank you Belmont and fellow Torontonian.....
I am glad that some people in the city agree that this was wrong....let's hope that things change....
.....where about's are you?
While I do think this is wrong, and the policeman did go overboard. But in his defense it is clearly stated to the kid to drop the knife several times. So although its not right what he did. It is what they were supposed to do
black0ut247, Thank you for your input and I do agree somewhat.....He was told to drop the knife....he did not....however, he was alone and cornered in a streetcar...he wasn't going anywhere....a warning bullet could have been used or even 1 bullet in the knee at the absolute maximum...but they shot 9 bullets into an 18 year old that was not hurting anyone. When a man tries to jump off a building, do we shoot him and finish him off...or do we help....I would like to think that we would help. That is all this boy needed....HELP:)
ok so I know he was not a danger to anyone, but with all the incidents that's happen such as the Boston Bombing and other mass killings you don't want to take the risk of letting a mentally unstable person out in the open with a weapon, he could of easily stabbed one of the officers, and instead of "officers shoot boy 9 times", it would be "boy stabs police officer." shooting him 9 times was to much and they could of got him help but into todays society you cant take chances anymore, I know its tradegic and it didn't have to happen :( :(
Mp231 That is a very good analogy and one that I thought about myself. That's just it. Was he in the wrong for carrying a knife? Absolutely. .. did he deserve his rights & freedoms & ultimately his life taken from him?....NO... That's my concern. .. they are trained to disarm, and meet with necessary force. They had him cornered...he wasn't going anywhere and they could have use a 1 bullet in the leg....tear gas or just a crisis councellor...They choose to shoot him 9 times and he wasn't even lunging for anyone or holding hostages....
I have no remorse for this kid. While the officer was stupid for shooting, it was the kid who put himself in that situation, by brandishing a knife and showing his privates to people on the bus. Then he didnt drop the knife when asked.
If you dont get yourself in that situation, you dont have a chance of getting shot. Simple.
the_domany I know you like to start drama randomly and see who will take the bait but a kid died. He was obviously mentally unstable. Have a little respect for someone who lost his life and his parents who unnecesarily lost their son.
I am not familiar with the specifics of the case, but was tazering attempted before they moved on to lethal force? If the boy, however, charged at the police with the knife, I think it was (sadly) justified. If they hadn't you might be reading about some police oficer being killed by stabbing. Sometimes tazering isn't even an option, because it won't always work if the person has a think layer of fat/muscle.
Foxox, what does my comment have to do with drama? I was spammed the blog and posted my opinion.
I have no respect for someone who goes onto a bus with a knife and makes threats to women and shows off his genitals to them. I'm entitled to my opinion and I'm entitled to post it if I please.
He got himself into the situation. Nowhere did I say he deserved it or it was justified. I said right in the first line, that the officer was stupid for shooting. There are lots of people in the world who are mentally unstable and dont do what that kid did.
The_Domany Hi, thanks for your opinion. That is the great thing about human rights...freedom of opinion. Just for the record though, he did not make threats to women nor did he show his genitals. I know that doesn't excuse the fact he had a knife though.
I just feel there was another way to resolve this....
That really is sad, but I do believe there's more to this story. We don't know enough to judge. Policemen are smarter than this blog gives them credit for.
I see both sides, as I am from Toronto too. Having said that, the police had saw a threat in this 18 year old man. They have to take the necessary precautions when someone refuses to drop a weapon. Do you remember the Greyhound bus incident a few years back? A man was decapitated in front of everyone! Times are sick, and people will do anything to become a news headline. Whether that was the case or not, we will never know. The_DomanyMajik
Oh my....that greyhound bus incident was horrific...I cried for days about that.
About ten years ago a man outside of Union Station held his estranged wife at gunpoint. I was on my way to work and saw this. I remember that the crisis team tried talking him down for like 2hours or so, before a sniper shot him dead. I just wonder why they did not talk this boy down, that had no hostages and only a knife. markuskaus
He was asked numerous times to put it down. He was asked not to move any closer. He didnt listen. They should not have shot to kill, but when you are in that situation, things happen.
I stick with my original statement. You dont carry a knife around, you dont get in the predicament, you dont get shot.
You are right The_Domany , a knife is bad too. And don't get me wrong...I do agree with what you are saying about putting himself in that predicament. These are all good and valid points. I just don't see the point of shooting a boy dead when there could have been so many other ways to resolve this. BTW, are you from Toronto as well?
There is never a point in shooting someone, unless they are a serious threat to you and there is no other option, but this is what happens these days. Just because they are police officers, does not mean they are mentally stable either. Sure, they go through their testing and whatever, but you dont know how you will react, in that sort of situation, until it actually happens.
Well there is my point markuskaus, when some fucking punk kid wants to run around and act like a piece of shit...this is what happens.
Everyone can go to their rallies and walk around with signs and pictures of this kid, like idiots. Yet where are the people holding pictures of the ones who had to witness that kids bullshit? That is harrassment, yet no one talks about that.
All we hear about is how good of a kid he was and how he has a mental illness(yet no one has confirmed that he actually does have a mental illness, his family has actually spoken against this.)
i cant watch the video because you need a youtube account. but, its a tricky one. whilst this is a terrible thing, its easy after the event, to make a judgement against the police. had the attackers of drummer lee rigby, been shot and killed for carrying knives, the british police would probably have received the same outcry, but, these men killed lee rigby, hacking him to death. had they been shot them after the event, the police would be heralded as heros. as bad as it sounds, i would rather they make the place safe, and get the flack for it, than wait to see what may happen and get the flak for not acting quickly enough!
