[6] The confrontation between Yatim and the police was recorded and footage of it was released publicly, prompting strong reactions across Canada.

This incident was the only time an on-duty Ontario officer was charged and convicted in the death of a person since the inception of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) in 1990.

[14] A passenger and witness said that upon boarding the streetcar he initially noticed Yatim sitting at the back, across from a group of teenage girls.

[14] He later heard giggling from the back of the streetcar followed by a scream, then saw Yatim brandishing a knife as the girls ran past him toward the front doors.

[14] According to two other witnesses, Yatim seemed irate, mentally unstable, and oblivious to others' presence, holding his exposed genitals in one hand and a knife in the other.

At the front of the vehicle, Constable James Forcillo of the Toronto Police Service called for a Taser, believing the situation "could be contained".

[13] According to videos of the incident, police ordered Yatim to drop the knife several times and warned him not to "take one step in this direction".

[22] He graduated from a justice program at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, California, United States, and received a psychology degree from York University in Toronto.

[23] He had recently graduated from Brebeuf College School in North York, Toronto and had told a friend he intended to focus on his education.

[26] As the event was recorded on cellphone camera and posted on YouTube by Markus Grupp [27] and Martin Baron,[28] it received international coverage and attention as a potential use of excessive force by the Toronto Police.

[30] On August 8, the Ontario Ombudsman, André Marin, launched a review of police tactics for defusing heated situations, in the wake of public outcry over Yatim's death.

The decision was criticized by the Toronto Police Association as a grandstanding political move, and the review as too vague in its goals.

"[36] On June 17, 2014, the preliminary inquiry ended with judge Richard LeDressay ordering Forcillo to stand trial in 2015.

[39] Lawyers on both sides of Forcillo's trial began making pre-trial motions in the Toronto Courthouse on September 14, 2015.

[40] During the trial, presided over by Justice Edward Then,[8] the prosecution put forward the theory that Forcillo had over-reacted and "lost his cool" in his decision to fire at Yatim.

[42] In cross examination, the prosecution asked Forcillo why he had not put more effort into de-escalating the situation to avoid violence.

[8] In testifying in his own defense, Forcillo explained that he followed standard police procedure, and believed Yatim to be a threat when he repeatedly ignored his orders to "drop the knife" and instead proceeded to advance towards him.

Forcillo was arrested the next day and charged with failing to comply with his recognizance, which has a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment.

According to documents filed with the court, Forcillo is alleged to have made "false statements under oath" when he stated in the affidavit that he was in full compliance with the terms of his bail and related house arrest.

[56] On December 29, 2017, Forcillo attended a bail hearing on the new charges of obstructing and perjury relating to his allegedly lying under oath in the signing of his affidavit.