Toronto police officer charged with murder of teenager after streetcar shooting returned to duty

Republish ReprintRepublish OnlineRepublish OfflineReprintJosh Visser | April 24, 2014 | Last Updated: Apr 24 9:00 AM ET More from Josh Visser | @joshvisser . THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan DenetteCity of Toronto Police Constable James Forcillo leaves the court house after being granted bail as Forcillo has been charged with second degree murder from the shooting of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim in Toronto, on Tuesday, August 20, 2013.. TwitterGoogle+ LinkedIn Email CommentsMore TumblrPinterestRedditDiggFarkItStumbleUpon .James Forcillo has been placed on administrative duty The Toronto police officer who is being tried for second-degree murder for the on-duty shooting death of teenager Sammy Yatim on a streetcar last summer has returned to duty. Constable James Forcillo has been on administrative duty for several weeks, Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack told CP24 Thursday morning. “He would be on a restricted duty, in an administrative function that would not have an impact on any of the operations or police investigations,” McCormack said. The decision to return Forcillo to duty after a seven-month suspension was made by Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, the Toronto Sun reports. Forcillo was charged with second-degree murder last month after an SIU (the provincial organization that investigates serious incidents involving police) investigation into the shooting death of Yatim, 18. Yatim, armed with a knife, was shot eight times by Forcillo on a Toronto streetcar near a popular downtown park on July 27. Yatim was alone on the streetcar at the time, which was surrounded by about a half-dozen police officers. The evidence being heard at the preliminary inquiry for the murder trial is currently under publication ban. The incident was recorded on smartphones, outraging many in the public. McCormack said the police association encourages the force to find “meaningful work” for suspended officers. “This was an on-duty incident, Officer Forcillo was responding to a call,” he said. .