Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that it is a “challenging and emotional day” for the city and its residents and extended his sympathies to Abdi’s family and members of Ottawa’s Somali community. While the Crown was able to make its opening arguments outlining the structure of the case, the court was only shown a small amount of evidence on Monday, as technical issues and concerns over the space took up the majority of the day. “Under the leadership of Chief Peter Sloly and his executive team, we hope to see continued progress that builds trust and mutual understanding between police and racialized members of our community,” the statement said. United For All, a community group including Rev. Ottawa Police Constable Daniel Montsion exits the courthouse on Elgin Street in Ottawa. He was alleged to have been harassing and groping customers at a nearby coffee shop before police were called. Greenspon said that Abdi’s mental illness was not reflected in Tuesday’s verdict. Daniel Montsion used excessive force during the July 24, 2016, confrontation that led to Abdirahman Abdi's death, or that the officer acted with a wanton disregard for Abdi's life or safety, which would be required to find him guilty through criminal negligence. The lawyers will not present their final arguments in court until April 27, 2020, though they will submit their written arguments before that date. Systemic racism ‘runs very deep’ in Canada, Freeland says. He reiterated his support for the chief’s efforts to reform the force. SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT. United For All, a community group including Rev. “It’s out of context. Justice Robert Kelly, who was brought in from the Toronto region, said he plans to address the issue and move the trial to a larger courtroom. He died the following day in hospital as a result of brain hypoxia, the court heard during the trial. The OPS said they will be conducting an “incident, service and policy review” in response to the incident, the results of which will be made public via the Ottawa Police Services Board. But questions remain about whether Montsion caused Abdi's serious injuries or ensuing heart attack. The police union boss, Matt Skof, was also arrested by the Ontario Provincial Police on January 23 and charged with breach of trust and obstructing justice. WARNING: This video contains disturbing content. Greenspon is now representing the family in a civil lawsuit on the matter. Montsion’s guilt on each charge,” Kelly said. It's known as "excited delirium.". These communications included audio recordings of Weir as he attempted to subdue and chase down Abdi following reports he had attacked patrons of a local coffee shop. But the OPS did say in a statement that they “respect the court’s decision.”. Montsion’s acts caused Mr. Abdi’s death,” Kelly said. Justice requires that we end state and societal sanction of violence perpetuated against the poor, the sick, and the racialized. He said the Crown had set out to prove that Montsion had committed an “unlawful act” during Abdi’s arrest, which saw the constable strike Abdi in the face and head multiple times with reinforced gloves. Montsion’s guilt on each charge,” Kelly said. The killing of Abdirahman Abdi, a 37-year old Somali Canadian man, by Ottawa Police Constable Daniel Montsion on July 24, 2016, was a particularly vicious and brutal affair which sparked community outrage and … It’s not this moment,” he said in an interview with Global News. Daniel Montsion's 'assault gloves', showed signs of erratic and combative behaviour, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Numerous witnesses to the police killing of Abdi have reported that the officers involved over-reacted with extreme violence against the man despite appeals from neighbors not to hurt the… “Let us continue the work, and find a way forward that sees us overcome racism and violence in Ottawa. Read more: Montsion would've been told before arriving on scene of Abdi arrest. Members of the community and some elected representatives, meanwhile, denounced the verdict as another failure of the criminal justice system to hold police to account for their role in the death of a Black man. They were shown, however, Abdi’s blood-stained pants as well as Montsion’s blood-stained shirt, pants, and the carbon-reinforced “assault gloves” that he was wearing while he punched Abdi in the head. The trial of a police officer charged with killing a Somali-Canadian man during an arrest began in an Ottawa courtroom on Monday. During the arrest, Abdi was punched several times in the head before going into cardiac arrest. The case was supposed to conclude earlier this year but was delayed by the novel coronavirus pandemic. “For the past couple years, we’ve had different context and information in the court of public opinion, but now we get to know what really happened,” she said outside the courthouse on Monday. He was accompanied by Ottawa Police Association boss Matt Skof, who is currently facing unrelated legal troubles of his own. “From the Crown’s perspective almost all the evidence is uncomplicated. Perlmutter said the video will show footage of Montsion joining Const. In response, the Ottawa Police Service ordered an audit of the force’s use of the gloves. Abdi sustained injuries to his face and suffered a heart attack during the arrest. Montsion did not hesitate and was wearing reinforced gloves, Perlmutter told the court. My only duty was to decide, dispassionately, based on the admissible evidence and the applicable law, whether the Crown met its burden of proving Const. (Supplied) Greenspon is now representing the family in a civil lawsuit on the matter. Abdi had bruises all over his body and several broken bones in his face, according to pathologist Christopher Milroy. Rawlson King, put out a statement Tuesday afternoon expressing its condolences to the Abdi family while also reaffirming its support of Sloly’s vision. “I am left in a state of reasonable doubt about whether Const. The Black man died after a violent arrest in July 2016. In his opening statement back in February, Crown attorney Philip Perlmutter said Montsion arrived at the building's front door and immediately started pummeling Abdi. At the end of the day, Ahmed Omer says she can only hope that Abdi did not die in vain, and that longstanding issues of systemic racism within police services can finally start to change. Constable Daniel Montsion pleaded not guilty to manslaughter in the killing of Abdirahman Abdi. To Abdirahman Abdi’s family, loved ones and his community, I’m sorry. "I don't know if we'll get a sense of closure, whichever way this goes," says coalition spokesperson Dahabo Ahmed Omer. Audio recordings of the dispatch messages radioed to officers during the arrest suggest Montsion may have known that prior attempts to arrest Abdi had failed. Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Ottawa’s Confederation Park on Tuesday evening, members of the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition said the criminal justice system failed Abdi and his family. Instead, they will now argue the judge should place no weight on the speed of the video when determining the force it depicts. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Ketcia Peters, former community co-chair of the Ottawa Police Equity Council, said “It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone. “Under the leadership of Chief Peter Sloly and his executive team, we hope to see continued progress that builds trust and mutual understanding between police and racialized members of our community,” the statement said. “The family did not expect that the criminal justice system would be the way to resolve the systemic problems, including the challenges of dealing with those people who have mental health issues,” he said. Perlmutter argued that the gloves were “not issued or sanctioned by the Ottawa Police Service for use as a weapon.”, 'It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone'. To Abdirahman Abdi’s family, loved ones and his community, I’m sorry. election race getting tighter, Trump visits Newport Beach for private fundraiser, Council Approves Yaletown Overdose Prevention Site, Some Republican voters refuse to vote for Trump, Ottawa constable’s blow to Abdi’s head ‘key’ to getting him handcuffed, officer testifies, Montsion defence covers reinforced gloves, Const. Solomon Friedman, Edelson’s partner in Montsion’s defence, said it was a “complex” and “challenging” case, and urged members of the public to read the justice’s full 100-plus-page judgment to understand why the trial ended in a not-guilty decision. “The family did not expect that the criminal justice system was the means to effecting change,” Greenspon said. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that it is a “challenging and emotional day” for the city and its residents and extended his sympathies to Abdi’s family and members of Ottawa’s Somali community. CTV Ottawa Published Friday, May 31, 2019 12:36PM EDT Last Updated Monday, June 3, 2019 4:00AM EDT SHARE. Montsion’s acts caused Mr. Abdi’s death,” Kelly said. He said systemic racism is a “very specific term” and should not be applied to instances like Tuesday’s verdict. “The response today would be the exact same as it was four years ago,” Skof said, though he noted the force is working to improve its training in regards to mental health. Solomon Friedman, Edelson’s partner in Montsion’s defence, said it was a “complex” and “challenging” case, and urged members of the public to read the justice’s full 100-plus-page judgment to understand why the trial ended in a not-guilty decision. Montsion used was not justified.”, The judge did not make any ruling one way or another on one of the key questions in the case, which was whether Montsion’s reinforced gloves were considered a “weapon.”.