Black Lives Matter interrupts Toronto police board over Andrew Loku death
A community organization made a statement Thursday by chanting "black lives matter" at a Toronto police board meeting, demanding the force acknowledge their requests following the July 5 death of Andrew Loku.
"We're asking you to take action, or we we will," one protester shouted at the meeting.
The demonstrators say Loku, who was shot and killed by Toronto police officers on July 5, may have been in crisis at the time of his death. The 45-year-old from South Sudan refused to comply with police demands to drop a hammer he was holding at an apartment building in northwest Toronto. The complex is subsidized by the Canadian Mental Health Association to provide affordable housing for people suffering from mental health issues.
Black Lives Matter organizers say the 84 recommendations issued to the Toronto Police Service in the wake of the 2013 police shooting of Sammy Yatim have not been implemented by the force. Yatim was 18 years old when he was shot eight times by Toronto Police Services officer James Forcillo, who faces attempted murder and second degree murder changes in the case.
The independent report conducted by Frank Iacobucci, which was released last July, provides recommendations for how to deal with "people in crisis."
The report states a mental-health first aid course should be a requirement for all police officers and suggests a revision to the use-of-force model to ensure lethal force is used only as a last resort.
Black Lives Matter provided the media with a list of demands for the mayor and police force to address the incident, prompting the Mayor John Tory to previously to say he is "very sorry for the family."
CBC News reached out Thursday to Black Lives Matter but they did not immediately respond to an interview request.
The Special Investigations Unit is looking into Loku's death.
