OTTAWA – An Ottawa police constable is facing criminal charges in the death of a Somali-Canadian man during a confrontation last summer with police.
Lawrence Greenspon, the lawyer for Abdirahman Abdi‘s family, says Const. Daniel Montsion is to be charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in the death of Abdi in July 2016.
Monstion is set to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa on Mar. 29.
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Montsion was one of two officers involved in an altercation in Ottawa with Abdi, a 37-year-old man who lost vital signs during the confrontation before being pronounced dead in hospital the following afternoon.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) – an oversight body that investigates deaths, serious injuries and sexual assaults involving police in the province – was expected to lay the charges later today.
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The confrontation with Abdi took place early on Sunday, July 24 shortly after police were called to a coffee shop in response to reports of a man causing a disturbance.
Police caught up to Abdi a few blocks away outside his apartment building, where cellphone videos showed the man lying on his stomach, handcuffed, while two constables held him down.
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Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau declined to comment on the details of the SIU investigations, and urged respect for the judicial process.
“What I can say is that the officer involved, like any member of the community going through a similar process, deserves to be treated fairly,” Bordeleau said in a statement.
“Mr. Abdi’s death has also been difficult for the membership of our police service,” he added.
— With files from Rahul Kalvapalle
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