Wait for answers 'devastating' for family of police shooting victim

Months after a 43-year-old mentally ill man was shot to death at the Morrisburg OPP detachment, his family is still in the darkand they're troubled the provinceis now mothballing proposed reforms to police oversight.

"It's devastating," said EllySaidi, Babak Saidi's sister."My mom still holds my brother's picture in her arms and cries."

A court order required Babak Saidito check in at the detachment weekly, according to his sister.The visits over the previous several months had been quick and uncomplicated, she said, but the visit December 23 went very wrong.

According to the province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which investigates deaths involving police, Saidientered the detachment around noon and was shot after an interaction with officers.

Saidi'sfather, MehrabSaidi,had driven BabakSaidito the detachment and witnessed the incident,Elly Saidi said. Her father told her when they first arrived at the detachment, they rang a buzzer to be admitted, butwere asked to return later for the check-in.

When they returned, two officers were waiting outside, and MehrabSaidiwatched his songo into the detachment with them. Some time later, he observed three people including his son struggling at the exit, and heard two shots.

EllySaidisaid she served as an interpreter when SIU investigators came to interview her father, but since then, the agency has told them almost nothing. Shesaid she learned this week the officer who is the subject of the investigation has not yet been interviewed and isn't required to submit to one.

A coroner called toinformher that her brother had actually been shot five times, but they still have many questions.

"It's been very, very hard on the family," Saidi said. "We're all trying to move forward to some sort of a closure without having answers and explanation."

In an email, a SIU spokesperson told CBCthe investigation was ongoing and the agency is prohibited from speaking about it.

SIUpreviously involved with victim, family says

Saidisaid her family experienced theSIU'ssecrecy previously when it investigated another incident involving her brother and MorrisburgOPP officers.

In July 2014,Saidisaid her brother, who had schizophrenia, called her in a mental health crisis, saying someone was trying to kill him. She urged him to call policeand when she called back she heard him interacting with officers.

Saidisaidthe next morning her brother was near death in hospital,where he remained inan induced coma for several days.

Family waiting for answers in ongoing SIU investigation

8 years ago

Duration 0:56

Elly Saidi said she and her family have struggled to move on following her brother's death as they wait for details about what happened the day he was shot.

BabakSaidihad no clear memory of what had happened.Saidisaid theSIUtold her that because no charges were laid, there was no report available. Thefamily has been unable to find out what triggered the health crisis that landed BabakSaidi in intensive care.

CBC sought details from the SIUabout the 2014 incident.

In anemail, the agency confirmeditdid investigate MorrisburgOPP in relation to an incident on July 15 that year, but said it could not confirm if it involved Saidi

"As the medical evidence indicated that the man did not suffer a serious injury, the investigation was terminated," said the email.

Shelved law would have made SIU more transparent

Saidi expressed disappointment at the province's recent decision to forgo implementation of a law to bring greater transparency to the SIU.

Last month, Premier Doug Ford gave notice new SIUlegislation set to come into force on June 30 would be at least delayed, because the government wanted to do a "full and thorough review."

The act'sproposed reforms drew on recommendations fromJustice Michael Tulloch, whothe previous Liberal government commissioned to develop ways to strengthen police oversight.

It was celebrated by civil society groups including the Justice for AbdirahmanCoalition, which formed after the death of Ottawa's AbdirahmanAbdi, but was opposed by several police unions. The Ottawa Police Association endorsed the Progressive Conservative Partyin large measure because of thatparty's promise to change the legislation.

Had the lawtaken effect June 30, it would have imposed a 120-day target to complete an investigation, and if they failed, they would need to issue a public statement every 60 days until it was completed.

The shelved law alsorequiredthe SIUto inform the public if charges were laid, and if theydidn't lay charges they had to publish a detailed report on why.

Family wants coroner's inquest

Other legislationthe government isreviewing would make a coroner's inquest mandatory in every death caused by police use of force.

Saidisaid shesupports that and would welcome an inquest into her brother's death.

"Whether there's a charge laid or not, I would really love to understand," Saidisaid. "I don't want my brother's death to be a waste."