Ontario's ombudsman has launched an investigation into the ways police are trained to defuse violent situations, following the fatal shooting of Sammy Yatim on a Toronto streetcar last month. AndrĂŠ Marin said the pattern of incidents involving police was like "Groundhog Day" and his inquiries will focus on how police are trained rather than the Sammy Yatim case specifically.

Rob Ford has lost (possibly fired, it's not clear) another staffer. Carley McNeil, a special events co-ordinator, had worked with the mayor for the last 18 months before her departure was confirmed yesterday evening. Eight members of Ford's team have quit or been fired since the crack video story came to light.

The mayor says he's been approached by three Toronto high schools about coaching their football team, something he's "absolutely considering" doing. Ford wouldn't name the schools who were thinking of bringing him on board just months after he was removed by the Toronto Catholic District School Board as coach of the Don Bosco Eagles for the "distractions" he brought.

A byelection should decide who will replace outgoing councillor Doug Holyday, according to Rob Ford. A special meeting will likely be called to debate this issue some time this month. If council desires, a person can be appointed to represent Holyday's former Etobicoke ward for the duration of the current term. Ford says voters should decide who gets the nod, even if it is just for a few months.

Looks like Toronto's got a serial bank-robber on its hands. Cops say Corey Richardson is wanted for holding up 13 banks, many of them downtown and close to subway lines. The Canadian Bankers Association is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to Richardson's arrest. He's considered armed and dangerous, so best steer clear of this guy.

And finally, here's this: the official song for Taste of the Danforth. Happy weekend.

IN BRIEF:

• 1 man shot in King St. nightclub shooting [CBC]
• Man shot in the head at north Toronto apartment [CBC]
• New charges against former Maple Leaf Gardens usher [CBC]

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Grey van der Meer/blogTO Flickr pool.