Close to 40 per cent of civilians killed by police are in mental crisis

CBC Radio | Posted: January 21, 2016 1:37 PM | Last Updated: January 21, 2016

Image | Hold Your Fire Documentary

Caption: As the jury deliberates in the Constable James Forcillo case, a new documentary looks at the death of Sammy Yatim and others at the hands of police. Hold Your Fire airs Thursday, Jan. 21 on CBC TV at 9 pm. (Bountiful Films)

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Audio | The Current : Close to 40 per cent of civilians killed by police are in mental crisis

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Jurors in Toronto are deliberating in the case of Constable James Forcillo. He's charged with second degree murder and attempted murder following that 2013 incident — the death of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim.

In 2014, Toronto police handled 20,000 interactions; Vancouver police, 30,000

The court case is big news, because few police officers face criminal charges after shooting deaths. They're often cleared of wrongdoing.

Image | Hold Your Fire Quoteboard

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According to the new documentary, Hold Your Fire, the death of Sammy Yatim is just one example of a growing problem of police shooting people who are in crisis.

1 in 5 Canadians will experience mental illness

Across Canada, some police forces are trying to build de-escalation into their use of force training.

Hold Your Fire airs Thursday Jan. 21 at 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. in N.L.) on CBC TV's Firsthand.

Guests in segment:

Helen Slinger, writer and director, Hold Your Fire
Terry Coleman, retired police chief and consultant on policing issues for the Mental Health Commission of Canada in High River, Alta.

This segment was produced by The Current's Liz Hoath.