Grieving family members have expressed deep anger and frustration with Hamilton police at what they say is a lack of answers and compassion in the police shooting death of their brother Anthony "Tony" Divers in September.

Brother Edward Divers and sister Yvonne Alexander addressed the Hamilton police board meeting Thursday and asked that police be made to wear lapel cameras and not be allowed to have guns.

But after their emotionally charged presentations, Edward was arrested on an outstanding warrant while leaving City Hall where the meeting was held.

Board chair Lloyd Ferguson, who confirmed Edward's arrest, said he was surprised to hear of it from the chief.

"It had nothing to do with (Edward's) presentation," Ferguson told The Spectator.

Asked about the timing of the arrest, he said, "The optics look horrible, I agree."

However, the Ancaster councillor said police are duty-bound to act on a warrant.

Ferguson wasn't able to shed light on the reason for the warrant or why police waited until after the meeting to arrest Edward.

A call placed late Thursday to a Hamilton police spokesperson wasn't returned.

Anthony Divers, 36, was shot dead on James Street South around midnight Sept. 30 by an officer responding to a call about a man who had assaulted someone and was reportedly armed with a gun.

Before he was shot, Divers was shown on video footage captured on King William Street, striking his estranged wife, a security guard at Dirty Dog Saloon, in the face.

Divers' siblings are convinced he was not armed that night. Two witnesses told The Spectator he didn't appear armed.

At the board meeting, Edward Divers and Yvonne Alexander claimed Chief Eric Girt and the board did not care about their loss.

Alexander said she couldn't express the anxiety she feels over the death of her baby brother.

She urged that "all front-line officers be made to wear a lapel camera when responding to a call" and said she couldn't understand why the Hamilton police is reluctant to use them.

In December, the board decided against a Hamilton pilot with the lapel cameras but requested a report next fall on the cost of testing them with a small number of officers.

However, top police officials oppose trying out body cameras "for the foreseeable future" because of mixed results in other jurisdictions.

Edward Divers referenced local deaths from police shootings in the past seven to eight years and asked the board to ban Hamilton police from carrying guns.

"Why can't we follow U.K. laws where police don't carry guns?"

He also said police don't care, expressed frustration over not getting answers from the SIU yet and complained that police weren't saying anything.

Board members didn't address the relatives' requests but responded to the criticism of indifference to their brother's shooting death.

"I know senior staff do care," Coun. Terry Whitehead said. "The challenge is we're caught in a legal system … the SIU restricts our ability to make direct comments.

"I don't think anyone doesn't care when a human life is taken," Whitehead said, but added, "The family has every right to grieve and to be frustrated, because it's a bureaucratic process."

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Ferguson said the board understood the relatives' frustration and anger.

"Everyone around this table, including the chief cares."

Ferguson also said the board has voiced its concern before that the SIU is too slow in its investigations and reports.

"I apologize it is taking so long, but we do care."

The SIU is a provincial agency that investigates reports involving police when there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.

A spokesperson defended the unit's work on the file, saying it has been in regular contact with family members during the ongoing investigation.

"All communications have been prompt, courteous, professional and as transparent as possible given the limitations during an ongoing SIU investigation," Monica Hudon said in an email.

Hudon added that sometimes the agency has to wait for outside reports such as toxicology reports before releasing its findings.

In 2005, Anthony Divers was given 10 years for manslaughter, but only served six years with double credit for two years of pretrial custody.

He and John Esposto, 28, pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter and robbery after a home invasion on the west Mountain in 2002 that ended with the stabbing death of Ryan McDonald, 26. Esposto was sentenced to six years.