Tazer? Wait? Get an expert negotiator in? What was the hurry?

I have no idea, I wasn't there.

Where's Spiderman when you need him?

I thinnk his web broke, it's a tragedy. Some say he was sold inferior quality silk. Others say his mum was annoyed and wouldn't let him out to play.

Now the officer has been suspended and rightly so. Should have waited for the taser.

With pay, but yeh, the video is damning in its own right. Trial by You Tube ehh.!

Early days and powerful unions so with pay is probably normal.

Unbelievable and so unnecessary.

Similar thing happened in Hamilton a few weeks ago - an unarmed man, who had just discharged himself from a mental health facility where he had treatment after admitting himself the day before (http://www.thespec.com/news-story/34...milton-police/) - was shot multiple times by 2 police officers on his way home on foot.

http://news.ca.msn.com/ontario/hamil...ng-death-scene

There are similarities to a case in Regina where a policeman shot a teen with a knife, (you know what I mean), he didn't have the chance to tase him because his hands were full of gun. It takes two police.

Diferance being, this one was filmed and shown on You Tube.

If this one had not been filmed we be hearing how after being Tased the youth continued to threaten the officers and was shot in self defence, but oops, what's that? Ohh a camera. Shit !!!!

Looks like a decent job done on the video. See a figure making for the door way and can't be having that to be honest. if he jumps out who knows what happens. Put him down and it's sorted.

Presumably those complaining would have been more comfortable with the force used only after he slit someone open. There is a reason police have guns in this country - it's to deal with situations like this.

Ummm there was nobody on the bus when they shot him... so how would he slit someone open. "Put him down" ? That is what tazars are for.

They could have easily stopped him with a tazer, reasonable force is whats required. It's not die hard, he wasn't some crazed terrorist. By the sounds of things he had mental health issues and the use of 9 bullets followed by tazering was not reasonable.

I think the majority on here agree that unreasonable force was used to kill a guy with a knife.

But

If this is eventually classed as reasonable force by Toronto police then what if they come across a shoplifter ? Couple of slugs in the legs to stop him getting away, or a speeding car, shoot out the tires and maybe wound the driver after which a Tazer could be used ?

Extreme examples, yeh, but saying that, was this incident extreme ?

So these parts were taken from a CBS article

Bahadi, who has seen the video, said she's heartbroken over the loss of her son, whom she described as polite and gentle.
She said she has many questions about the way the situation was handled by police.
"And I felt that he was very afraid … I felt it. I felt that he was very afraid." Bahadi, a pediatrician from Syria, said she brought her children here because she thought it would be safer, and she had hoped her son would make his future in Canada.

So one has to question why this polite and gentle adult male was waving a knife around on public transit? I dont have the answer.

Also taken from the article
McLean says if the officers had waited another minute for the officer with the Taser to arrive instead of opening fire, Yatim might be alive today. "Should you be Tasering someone who’s been shot six or nine times and lying on the ground?” he told CBC News.

I seem to recall several years ago that a large section of the public wanted TAZERS banned all together after several incidents involving their use also resulted in deaths. So are you now in favour of TAZERS?

I have not seen the video nor am I defending the police but I suspect this wont be the last incident of this kind and who knows what the next ending might be.
Im pretty certain that if there had been innocents on the bus and this individual had gone on a stabbing spree then I guess there would have been those expecting the police to have shot him.

I agree with your last theoretical statement. Also if he was waving a automatic weapon, yeh shoot the shit outa him, but he was not, period !!!

There was no one on the bus, he made all the passengers and driver leave. (He had the chance of a stabbing spree but declined) Also no persons were in danger, incl the police at the time of the shooting. I suggest you watch the video FL then comment on what you see! Not trying to be rude mate but its all there on line for all to see.