a bombshell $2.5-million lawsuit alleges the ops wiretapped and surveilled the five officers and their family members for months, accusing the police force of being racist and discriminatory of its own sworn members. the somali officers had been encouraged to join the force in an effort to improve its relations with ottawa’s racialized community and diversity efforts, the lawsuit alleges, but the shroud of suspicion surrounding the five officers has damaged their reputations and careers.
“we are deeply shocked and troubled by the alleged discriminatory surveillance and harassment of somali officers and their families,” bille abdalla, operations manager of the somali centre for family services, said thursday at a news conference where members of ottawa’s black and somali communities gathered to condemn the police force and to call for change.
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ottawa police, meanwhile, say they are committed to “upholding human rights and ensuring an equitable and inclusive workplace and service delivery to the communities we serve.”
in an email statement on friday, chief eric stubbs said, “ we are pleased to hear that there is a willingness to work together and build stronger relationships,” and “we will be reaching out to somali communities to work more closely together on a path to create positive change.”
in 2016, 37-year-old somali-canadian abdirahman abdi died in hospital one day after a confrontation with ottawa police service officers during an arrest. an officer responded to a call at a hintonburg coffee shop where a man had allegedly been sexually assaulting people before running down the street to the front steps of an apartment building on hilda street. another constable called as backup used “plated” gloves to punch abdi several times in the head.
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a coroner’s inquest has been called to examine the circumstances of abdi’s death.
police have also yet to make any arrests one year after a brazen shooting that killed two men and injured six at a somali wedding. members of the somali community say their u nresolved questions about the progress of the investigation have left them disappointed and frustrated.
and, earlier this year, ottawa police chief eric stubbs said he deeply regretted that a black man had been violently — and erroneously — arrested by police in a case of mistaken identity.
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