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Abdirahman Abdi: What we know so far about the Ottawa man’s death
The Canadian Press, Reuters and Globe staff Last updated: Tuesday, Jul. 26, 2016 1:51PM EDT
On July 24, a Somali-Canadian man died after police tried to arrest him, drawing renewed public criticism of the deaths of black men in confrontations with the police. This is what we know so far
Abdirahman Abdi is shown in a family handout photo.THE CANADIAN PRESS
WHO HE WAS
Abdirahman Abdi was a 37-year-old immigrant from Somalia. His brother, Abdiaziz, told the Ottawa Citizenhe came to Canada in 2009.Neighbours described him as having an unspecified mental illness.
WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM
On Sunday morning, around 9:30 a.m., Ottawa police officers were called with reports of a man causing a disturbance at a coffee shop in the neighbourhood of Hintonburg, according to Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit. The man was allegedly harassing a woman at the shop, according to media reports.
Shortly after officers responded there was a confrontation outside 55 Hilda St., an apartment building. Several eyewitnesses said Mr. Abdi was beaten by a number of police officers as he tried to run into the building. Ray Miron, 67, told The Canadian Press he was watching television from his nearby apartment Sunday when he heard people screaming outside, then watched police beat Mr. Abdi as he was lying on the ground. “It just was not right for the beating that they gave that poor guy when he was down,” he said. “I got to the point, I’m 67 years old and if I’d had been 30 years younger, I would have jumped that cop.”
Video of the incident appears to show a man in a bloodied shirt lying face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back and his pants pulled down before paramedics arrived and began administering CPR. Neighbours can be heard yelling at the police in the background.
Mr. Abdi was taken to Ottawa Civic Hospital in critical condition. Nimao Ali, who lives in the same building as Mr. Abdi and his family, said doctors told the family that Mr. Abdi was dead 45 minutes before receiving medical attention, adding that family was notified of his death only on Monday afternoon.
THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE
Ontario’s SIU is investigating Mr. Abdi’s death. The SIU investigates whenever there is a death, serious injury or allegation of sexual assault involving police in the province. It has assigned five investigators and one forensic investigator to the case.
THE COMMUNITY’S RESPONSE
Muslim community: The National Council of Canadian Muslims says an investigation must look into whether racism played a role in Mr. Abdi’s death. The council’s executive director, Ihsaan Gardee, says a swift and open investigation must take place in order to ensure trust is rebuilt between police and the Muslim community. “Many members of the Ottawa Muslim and Somali communities have serious concerns about how this tragic incident unfolded, including whether prejudice had something to do with Mr. Abdi’s treatment,” Mr. Gardee said in a statement.
Somali community: Abdourahman Kahin, who leads a group called Muslim Presence, said members of the Somali community in Ottawa would be gathering for a private meeting Tuesday evening to discuss how to respond to the issue, and he will be urging everyone to avoid ethnicizing it. He said it is too early to assume the police were racially motivated. “It would be more to answer emotionally, than rationally,” said Mr. Kahin, who used to live in the same building as the Abdi family and knows one of Mr. Abdi’s brothers. “We condemn the brutality of the police –100 per cent condemn – but don’t put the colour of the victim [first].”
City government: Councillor Jeff Leiper for Ottawa’s Kitchissippi Ward said Monday in a statement onlinethat he has received word from many residents offering help to the Abdi family. “I cannot express fully my grief,” the councillor said in the statement.
Federal government: Environment Minister Catherine McKenna stopped by the apartment building Tuesday afternoon to lay a bouquet of white flowers among others that had been brought to pay tribute to Mr. Abdi. Ms. McKenna, the Liberal MP for the area, said she wanted to let the family know she was saddened by what happened.
To tha PIGS
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