Ottawa's police chief says the force is committed to improving its practices and learning from a recent inquest into the 2016 death of a man after his violent arrest.
The coroner's inquest jury made more than 50 recommendations Tuesday aimed at preventing similar deaths in the future, as it deemed Abdirahman Abdi's death a homicide.
The 38-year-old Somali Canadian died in July 2016 after police responded to a 911 call reporting that a man was groping women outside a coffee shop in Ottawa.
The inquest heard that Abdi appeared to be in a mental-health crisis at the time, and that he suffered blows to his head during the arrest.
The inquest jurors' finding on the cause of death carries no legal liability.
Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs says the force will take the time to review the jury's recommendations, but it's "clear" that they will help police become more accountable.
"We are committed to learning from this inquest, improving our practices and building trust with the communities we serve," Stubbs wrote in a statement Thursday.
"Mr. Abdi's death has caused a lot of pain for his family, friends, and the community. Rebuilding our relationship with the Somali community is a priority for me and the OPS team."
After hearing several weeks of testimony from experts and witnesses 鈥� including the police officer who was acquitted of criminal charges in the case 鈥� the inquest jury came back Tuesday evening with numerous recommendations for the Ottawa police force, its board and other authorities.
The first recommendation for the Ottawa Police Service was to establish a mental-health advisory council that would provide guidance on police interactions with people who have mental-health issues.
The jury's recommendations also include reviewing and improving police use-of-force training and de-escalation strategies, as well as addressing anti-Black racism and biases toward people with mental-health struggles.
The Ottawa Police Service said in a statement Thursday that it will assign dedicated resources to work with the Community Equity Council and other community groups to create "a comprehensive mental health strategy that addresses the recommendations."
The force also said it has been working to improve officers' interactions with people experiencing mental health crises and address racism concerns, "and we know we need to do more."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press
