Ottawa police chief cautions those showing support for colleague facing charges

Adbi was pronounced dead in hospital one day after a physical altercation with two police constables who responded to calls about a disturbance at at Ottawa coffee shop. Montsion faces charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.

The wristbands, according to the CBC, bear Montsion’s badge number and the message, “United we stand; divided we fall.”

A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for May 1.

The death of Abdi, a black Muslim, triggered multiple protests in Ottawa last summer, as well as in Toronto and Montreal.

The Justice for Abdirahman Coalition, which has been pushing for more transparency, expressed “outrage” over the wristbands, calling the campaign an “insult” to the family of Abdi and those fighting against “police brutality.”

“This particular act of solidarity demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life,” the coalition said Wednesday in a news release.

In his message, Bordeleau said he understands the “sentiment” behind members wanting to show support for Montsion, but that “the executive, the chain of command and his association” are already supporting him in the court process.

Bordeleau also reminded officers they should not be wearing the wristbands while on duty, as they are not part of the uniform.

Eli El-Chantiry, chair of the police board, said in a statement he understood why police officers would want to show support for their colleague.

“However, the wristbands, even if well-meaning, have unintended consequences and are divisive,” said El-Chantiry, a local city councillor.

“We need to take a step back and reflect on the bigger picture in this case. As a community, we need to move away from an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality.”

The Ontario government has named Philip Perlmutter, a Toronto-based Crown attorney, to prosecute the case.

No stranger to cases involving police, Perlmutter, of the Justice Prosecutions Unit, successfully a prosecuted Toronto police officer who was convicted in 2013 of assault with a weapon for using excessive force during the arrest of a protester on the lawn of the Ontario legislature during the G20 Summit in 2010.

The court heard Wednesday there will also be an out-of-town judge.

A designate from the firm of high-profile defence lawyer Michael Edelson appeared on behalf of Montsion in court.

— Follow @smithjoanna on Twitter

Joanna Smith, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Ottawa police chief cautions those showing support for colleague facing charges

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