Family of man shot by police criticizes delay on lapel cameras

Family members of Tony Divers, shot and killed by police last September, aimed sharp messages of anger and frustration at Hamilton's police chief and oversight board on Thursday.

"I cannot express the anxiety and emotions that are running through me right now as I stand in front of the police force that shot and killed my 36-year-old, unarmed, in-crisis, baby brother, Anthony Divers," said his sister Yvonne Alexander.

I don't understand these meetings, but I just wanted to say my little bit about my brother.- Edward Divers

The family's appearance before the boardtook an unexpected turn when one of the family members who spoke, Edward Divers, was arrested outside city hall after the meeting.

Police released no informationabout why he was arrested, and the family was scrambling to find out as the service's top officers and board members left the building.

'We're talking about the same things'

The twoDiverssiblings each spoke for an allotted five minutes, calling for officers to wear lapel cameras and to be disarmed.

Alexandersaid afterward she was still frustrated but appreciated the chance to get her message off her chest.

Earlierin the meeting, Alexander said she was disheartened by the board's decision in December to ask for yet another study of the camera technology, not expected to come until this fall.

"These things have been talked about in these meetings for a few years," said Edward Divers. "And we're talking about the same things."

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The family is getting a crash course in police bureaucracy, jumping through the hoops to speak before the board, awaiting a report out of the investigation into their brother's death and showing up to lobby for tools like lapel cameras, and hearing the item pushed off for another year.

"I really have to wonder why HPS is so reluctant to pilot this necessary tool," saidAlexander.

She said the presentation in December was filled with reasons why Hamilton police would not try out the cameras -- "comparing battery life as opposed to a person's life," she said.

Alexander and her brother, Edward Divers, are also frustrated with the months that the Special Investigations Unit has taken to release its report.

'A man to a man you didn't care'

Edward Divers targeted Police Chief Eric Girt in his comments.

He said his interaction with the chief after the board's meeting a couple of months ago was like "talking to a politician" rather than a human being.

"A man to a man, like you didn't care. I see it in your eyes," he said. "I've been looking around the last couple of meetings and nobody seems to care."

Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, reappointed Thursday as the board's chair, interrupted Divers and asked him not to make personal attacks.

Ferguson said the chief can't be expected to comment on the case while the details of the case are being investigated by the Special Investigations Unit.

"I hope something changes," Edward Divers said. "I don't understand these meetings, but I just wanted to say my little bit about my brother."

"It probably falls on deaf ears. Laugh at me if you like, but I just hope there's changes. There has to be changes."

'It's not a perfect world'

After the siblings spoke, Coun. Terry Whitehead delayed the board moving on to the next item and responded on behalf of the board and the service's senior staff.

"I don't think that anyone doesn't care when a human life is taken," Whitehead said. "We are on every occasion looking at taking the steps necessary to improve and learn from the mistakes that we've made, if they have been made, and implementing the measures to mitigate those circumstances.

"It's not a perfect world. And it's regretful that any life is lost," Whitehead said.

Ferguson said the board and the chief care about the family's grief, and said he doesn't feel the family should have to wait so long to get the SIU report.

Also at the meeting, Madeleine Levy was reelected as vice chair of the board.

kelly.bennett@cbc.ca | @kellyrbennett