Ottawa man involved in Hilda St. incident has died, SIU investigates

CTV Ottawa: Debate over use of force A strong debate is growing in Ottawa on whether the tactics by police were an excessive use of force. CTV's Joanne Schnurr reports.

New, graphic video has emerged online showing the aftermath in the arrest of Abdirahman Abdi by Ottawa Police.

While the video’s description accuses police of killing Abdi, that has not been proven. The incident is under investigation by the SIU.

The video can be seen here. A warning that the images may be disturbing.

Background

SIU confirms that Abdirahman Abdi, the Ottawa man taken to hospital after altercation with police in Hintonburg yesterday, has died.

Sunday morning Ottawa Police blocked off Hilda St. from Wellington St. West to Armstrong St. in Hintonburg as part of the investigation.

Family friends have identified the victim is 37-year-old Abdirahman Abdi, who has a mental illness.

Ottawa Police say they received a call around 10:30a.m.for a disturbance at a location on Wellington St. near Fairmont Ave. involving a male. Duty Insp. Mark Patterson said the initial situation was dealt with there - before it continued on to Hilda St.

The Special Investigations Unit said a confrontation took place outside 55 Hilda St., and at some point the man suffered medical distress.

David Thyne said he watched the situation from his balcony across the street.

“They were using their cane, or stick, or what it is and they were really, really going at him and he was screaming,” said Thyne.

Suhkri Samater, a friend of the victim’s family, said she came outside as the man was being handcuffed.

“It was just really sad, we just didn’t understand the purpose of such excessive force used,” said Samater.

Miriam Ali said she could hear screaming from her apartment on Hilda St. Sunday morning and came outside to see a man lying on the ground.

"He was unconscious and he was sitting in a pool of blood…I came out here and he was lying on his front and there were just like five of six police officers on him," said Ali.

The man was transported to the Ottawa Civic Hospital where he remains in critical condition.

The SIU is urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. The SIU are called whenever there is serious injury, or death, or accusation of sexual assault involving police.