Ottawa’s police chief says rebuilding the service’s “fractured” relationship with the city’s Somali community is a top priority following the conclusion of a coroner’s inquest into the death of Abdirahman Abdi.
Abdi, 38, died in hospital the day after his violent arrest by Ottawa police officers outside his Hintonburg apartment building in July 2016. He had been struggling with his mental health.
Abdi’s death automatically triggered the inquest, and on Tuesday the jury declared it a homicide and issued several recommendations aimed at preventing similar fatalities.
Many of the recommendations address how officers should recognize and respond to mental health calls.
In a news release issued Thursday, Chief Eric Stubbs said the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) continues to review the recommendations, but “it’s clear that they provide valuable insights to help us become a better, more accountable police service. We are committed to learning from this inquest, improving our practices, and building trust with the communities we serve.”
Stubbs acknowledged Abdi’s death caused “a lot of pain for his family, friends and the community” — particularly Ottawa’s large Somali community.
“Rebuilding our relationship with the Somali community is a priority for me and the OPS team. We are dedicated to taking concrete steps to address this through meaningful dialogue, genuine partnerships, and collective action,” Stubbs said.
Deputy Chief Steve Bell testified during the inquest, as did the two officers who were directly involved in Abdi’s arrest: Const. Daniel Montsion, who in 2020 was acquitted of manslaughter in Abdi’s death, and former constable David Weir, who has left the force.
OPS to devise ‘comprehensive mental health strategy’
Among the steps the OPS will take or has already taken are “mandatory training focused on anti-Black racism, mental health and trauma-informed approaches, and use of force de-escalation,” Stubbs said.
Additionally, the OPS will assign dedicated officers to work with its Community Equity Council and other groups to devise a “comprehensive mental health strategy” that addresses the jury’s recommendations.
“We acknowledged the work we still must do and listened intently for learning opportunities to continue improving our training, policy, procedures, and other practices. The inquest underscored many opportunities for continued improvement in policing and beyond,” Stubbs said.
WATCH | More of the reaction to the jury’s recommendations:
The jury also made a number of recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.
Stubbs also acknowledged the force’s failure to report the findings of an internal review of the incident to the Ottawa Police Services Board — an oversight that came to light during the inquest — and committed to “adhering to this critical process in the future.”
“We acknowledge the fractured relationships with the Somali community and will continue to rebuild trust through dialogue, partnerships, and meaningful action,” Stubbs said.
On Tuesday, Abdi family lawyer Lawrence Greenspon called the jury’s recommendations “too little, too late,” suggesting they lacked the force to bring about real change.
“The words that were used in the recommendations — ‘consider’ and ‘consult’ and ‘prioritize’ — these aren’t words of action,” Greenspon told CBC. “That’s what’s needed.”