The coroner’s inquest into Abdirahman Abdi’s death heard from the first of two officers involved in the fatal arrest.
The first officer to interact with Abdirahman Abdi in a violent 2016 arrest says “distraction blows” Abdi took to his face and body were necessary to arrest him.
Former Ottawa police Const. David Weird testified on the third day of the inquest into Abdi’s death, saying his and Const. Daniel Montsion’s hits to Abdi’s head were key to finally subduing and arresting the man.
Weir testified he had previously pepper-sprayed Abdi and hit him with his police baton, but Abdi resisted being handcuffed, ran away, and reacted to the other uses of force “as if I hit him with a fly swatter.”
After he was arrested, Abdi died in hospital the following day. An inquest into his death is mandatory under the Coroners Act, to examine the circumstances surrounding his death, as he died in police custody. A jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths.
Weir said the Sunday morning police compliment was a “skeleton crew” and he responded to a call at a Hintonburg coffee shop by himself, after multiple 911 reports of Abdi allegedly sexually assaulting multiple women and taking a swing at the coffee shop’s manager.
“I have an arrest for sexual assault, for assault, for causing a disturbance, for mischief. You want me to keep going? I’ve got enough,” Weir told the inquest.
“I’m going to arrest him right away. That’s all there is to it. I’m going to put an end to this because he’s done enough damage.”
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When Weir first attempted to arrest Abdi, he said the man was “exhibiting signs of someone in crisis, whether mental health, drugs, alcohol, or a combination of all three,” with his eyes “swimming” and spit coming out of his mouth.
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But, he added, “This guy was on a tear. He needed to be arrested. Whether a mental health issue or criminal issue, it needs to be addressed.”
Abdi ran away while Weir was attempting to arrest him, and the two engaged in an approximately three-minute-long chase from the Bridgehead coffee shop on Wellington back to Abdi’s apartment nearby, with Abdi attempting to knock down garbage cans and grab at construction signs in order to stave off Weir.
Then, when the two reached Abdi’s apartment, Weir struck Abdi with his baton and kicked him. Montsion joins Weir at Abdi’s apartment, and the two use what Weir called “distraction blows” to eventually cuff Abdi, who is shown on CCTV video lying facedown motionless on the ground.
During cross-examination, Lawrence Greenspon, a lawyer for Abdi’s family, said Weir made “no efforts to de-escalate” the situation, but Weir said his only goal was to make the arrest.
Weir accused Greenspon of “trivializing” Abdi’s actions, including when he held up a rubber construction mat and “came at” Weir. Presiding coroner David Eden reminded Weir not to be argumentative.
Weir, who was hired by OPS in 2002 but is no longer with the service, said he received some mental health training at the Ontario Police College, but didn’t recall any specifics.
When asked if he had received any indication of Abdi’s mental health status from dispatchers, Weird said, “I’m getting information that he’s in there groping multiple women. That’s not just a crime, but it’s also a mental health indicator.
“You don’t just walk into a coffee shop and start groping women. There’s mental health issues behind something like that.”
Ontario’s civilian police watchdog charged Montsion with manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. He was acquitted of all charges. He’s expected to testify later in the inquest. Weir was not charged over the incident.
More than 25 witnesses are expected to testify over the inquest, which began Monday and is expected to last for several weeks.
The public can watch the hearings live on this website.
