The disciplinary charge against the Toronto police sergeant who Tasered a dying Sammy Yatim has been dropped after the years-old case has been resolved through closed-door mediation. Sgt. Dusan Pravica was facing one count of misconduct under Ontario’s Police Services Act in connection to the July 2013 shooting of Yatim, 18, who died after being shot eight times by then officer James Forcillo. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Pravica, a longtime officer, climbed aboard the streetcar where Yatim had been fatally shot and Tasered him as he lay on the ground. Pravica was charged with professional misconduct in 2017, following an investigation by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD). That probe was spurred by a complaint filed by Yatim’s father, Nabil Yatim, and its conclusion alleged Pravica used “unnecessary force” and that he “failed to assess the totality of the circumstances” and “acted in haste.” At a brief hearing at the Toronto police tribunal Tuesday morning, Toronto police Insp. Shane Branton said the hearing — which was supposed to begin Tuesday — has instead been “resolved by alternative means.”The parties involved met earlier this month and resolved the case during a confidential mediation, meaning the “contents aren’t public knowledge,” Branton said. Mediation is an option for all cases generated by the OIPRD.Nabil Yatim is “satisfied with the outcome,” said Joseph Figliomeni, his lawyer, in comments read into the record Tuesday. The mediation gave Yatim the chance to “meet and share his views with Sgt. Pravica in a dignified and respectful setting,” he said.“Resolving the OIPRD complaint against Sgt. Pravica marks a milestone for the Yatim family and their continuing efforts to refocus the police community’s attention on revising their procedures with a view to minimizing the excessive use of ...
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