On a hot summer day last year, police in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, responded to a call of a man groping women in a coffee shop.
When police caught up with the man outside his apartment complex a scuffle of some kind ensued. The Somali-Canadian man, Abdirahman Abdi was soon pronounced dead. His family later said that he had been suffering from undefined mental problems.
After a subsequent investigation into the death, one of the officers involved, Constable Daniel Montsion, was charged with manslaughter.
The court case began this week, but along with it another controversial issue for the police in Ottawa has sprung up.
Local police have begun selling rubber wristbands to express solidarity with Cst. Montsion.
The wristbands say “United We Stand” on the outside along with Cst. Montsion’s badge number, 1998, while on the inside is written, “divided we fall”. They were being sold on a website accessible only by police members. The site said the bands were in support of Cst. Montsion and the $2 charge will be sent to the police benevolent fund.
When the CBC brought the case to light, the Ottawa Police Chief issued a notice banning police from wearing them while on duty.
Quoted in a Huffington Post article, Ottawa Police Association president, Matt Skof said the wristbands are “just about expressing their support for a colleague. It’s a very difficult environment that we’re in, in policing.”
In a statement sent to CBC Ottawa, the Chief expressed concerns about the wristbands saying in part, “”We must take into account the community perceptions of actions like these wristbands. There has already been a great deal of negative commentary and we should all be concerned about the long-term impact on public trust this could create.”
Now in response, a counter wristband has been created.
Retired Ottawa firefighter Greg Birtch said he was offended by the police wristband and ordered 500 of his own in response.
Those are in the light blue and white star of the Somali flag and with Abdi’s name and should be available next week
Birtch is also charging $2 and says the funds will go to the Abdi family.
Cst. Montsion was to appear in court yesterday for an initial hearing but was represented by his lawyer.
Additional information-sources
- CBC: A Pfeffer: Mar 30/17: Pro Abdi bands
- CBC: A Pfeffer: Mar 29/17: Pro police bands
- CBC: K Nease:Mar 29/17: reaction to police bands
- Huffington Post:J Peterson:Mar 30/17 wristbands erode trust in justice
- Ottawa Citizen: A Duffy: Mar 30/17 Abdi bands +video
- Ottawa Sun; V Pilieci: Mar 29/17 Police bands divisive
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