Toronto Constable James Forcillo only Ontario Cop Convicted of Attempted Murder

TORONTO - Toronto Police Const. James Forcillo is the first officer in Ontario ever to be found guilty of attempted murder.

Forcillo is also the 11th police officer in Ontario to be charged with second-degree murder or manslaughter since the 1990 inception of the Special Investigations Unit, which looks into deaths, injuries or allegations of sexual assault involving police. Until Monday, all of the officers had been acquitted.

Here are the other cases:
•Nepean Police Const. John Monette: Acquitted of manslaughter in the 1991 shooting death of Vincent Gardner. Monette shot Gardner during a botched drug raid after apparently mistaking Gardner’s guitar for a gun.

•Chatham Police Const. Ron Tricker: Convicted in 1993 of manslaughter in the death of John Rioux. He was later acquitted on appeal. Rioux died after Tricker and two other officers wrestled him to his dining room floor, following a dispute over a speeding ticket.

•York Regional Police Det. Robert Wiche: A charge of manslaughter in the 1996 death of a 16-year-old boy was dismissed at a preliminary hearing. Faraz Suleman was shot after a car chase as police tried to arrest him on charges of robbery and illegal possession of a firearm related to a carjacking investigation.

•Metro Toronto Police Det.-Const. Rick Shank: Acquitted of manslaughter in the 1997 shooting death of Hugh Dawson. The drug suspect was killed during a botched takedown on an east-end street.

•York Regional Police Const. Randy Martin: Acquitted of second-degree murder in the 1998 shooting death of Tony Romagnuolo, who was shot four times outside his home in Sunderland. Two other officers were acquitted of other charges in the double shooting that also left Romagnuolo’s 17-year-old son critically wounded.

•Toronto Police Constables Robert Lemaitre, Phillip Duncan, Nam Le and Filippo Bevilacqua: Acquitted of manslaughter in the 2000 death of Otto Vass. The 55-year-old man had suffered for years from mental illness and died after an altercation with police outside a downtown convenience store.

•Toronto Police Const. David Cavanagh: His case is still before the courts. Cavanagh was originally charged with manslaughter after 26-year-old Eric Osawe was shot as police searched an apartment in Toronto’s west end in 2010. The charge was later upgraded to second-degree murder, but then dismissed after a preliminary hearing. The Crown has appealed and is asking the judge to reinstate the manslaughter charge.

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