Ottawa Police statement on Coroner's inquest recommendations into the death of Abdirahman Abdi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, December 19, 2024   12:51 p.m.

(Ottawa) — The Coroner's inquest into the tragic death of Abdirahman Abdi, which began on November 18, 2024, has now come to a close. On December 17, the jury rendered a decision with recommendations which the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is now in the process of reviewing.

“While we take the time to review all the recommendations, 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,” said Chief Eric Stubbs. “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. We are dedicated to taking concrete steps to address this through meaningful dialogue, genuine partnerships, and collective action.”

Mr. Abdi, 38, died in a hospital in Ottawa on July 25, 2016, after his arrest by officers on July 24, 2016. The inquest into his death was mandatory under the Coroners Act to examine the circumstances surrounding Mr. Abdi’s death and was aimed at preventing further deaths.

We recognize that this has been a long and difficult journey for the family and friends of Mr. Abdi, who continue to grieve his death, as well as for the community and our police service. We deeply sympathize with Mr. Abdi’s family and community for this profound loss.

With great empathy and respect for everyone involved, we remain committed to healing and restoring trust through continued dialogue, partnerships, and collective action, and moving our relationship forward.

The OPS fully participated in the inquest with transparency and sincere interest in sharing the collaborative work that has been done over the last eight years to address community feedback and recommendations.

Over several days of testimony, we were able to provide an overview of over thirty partnership projects aimed at foundational change for improving service delivery, including a new community policing model, human rights strategies and programs, and mandatory training focused on anti-Black racism, mental health and trauma-informed approaches, and use of force de-escalation.

The OPS will assign dedicated resources to work with the Community Equity Council and other community partners to co-create a comprehensive mental health strategy that addresses the 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.

During the proceedings, it also became evident that a section 11 report to the Ottawa Police Service Board (OPSB) had been overlooked. The OPS acknowledges the importance of section 11 reports in ensuring transparency and accountability to the OPSB and commits to adhering to this critical process in the future.

The inquest resulted in several jury recommendations aimed at improving police interactions with individuals experiencing mental health crises and addressing concerns of racism and the intersectionality of those issues.

We have undertaken much partnership work in this area, and we know we need to do more.

The OPS will work closely with the Community Equity Council (CEC) and other community partners to create meaningful local action plans that focus on improving service delivery and building relationships with the diverse communities we serve. We acknowledge the fractured relationships with the Somali community and will continue to rebuild trust through dialogue, partnerships, and meaningful action.

The OPS is committed to continuing the collaborative human rights work of our 2023-2027 DRIVE2 Strategy and the Board's strategic direction. Significant 2025 collaborative work was outlined at the inquest, including a new Use of Force Community Review Panel, anti-racism policy and training reviews, Use of Force and mental health alternative response improvements, and much more.

The additional inquest recommendations and local action plans will be led by an Ottawa Police member who will ensure the development of an OPS mental health strategy with training improvements to build greater capacity. This important work will be aligned and integrated into our continuing human rights work that is reported to the Board every six months.

We deeply appreciate the hard work of the jury throughout the inquest, and in determining the recommendations. The OPS reaffirms its commitment to continue learning, evolving and collaborating with the community to ensure a safer, more equitable city for all.

For more information about our current strategy and action plans or to get involved, please visit ottawapolice.ca/DRIVETWO.

Community wellness resources are also available by contacting 211.

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