Hundreds mourn black man who died after arrest in Canada

By Leah Schnurr
Reuters

OTTAWA, July 29 (Reuters) - Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of a mentally ill black man whose death after he was arrested by police in Canada's capital city sparked a debate about race in a country that prides itself on a reputation for being tolerant.

At least 600 people including Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and other local politicians turned out on Friday for the Muslim funeral of Abdirahman Abdi, filling Ottawa's largest mosque and spilling onto the street.

Watson was criticized earlier in the week for not making a statement until two days after the arrest on Sunday.

Witnesses told local media that Abdi, 37, was beaten by police officers who responded to calls of a disturbance. A video taken by a bystander showed Abdi in a bloodied shirt lying face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind him and his pants pulled down before paramedics arrived.

In a statement read at the funeral on behalf of the family, Abdi was remembered as a "wonderful son, amazing brother and kindhearted uncle."

His family said in the statement that Abdi was "such a kindhearted person, what happened to him that Sunday wasn't fair at all and shouldn't be justified by any means."

"We all have many questions but we are trying to be patient."

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding Abdi's arrest. Some advocates have called for criminal charges to be filed against two police officers.

There have also been calls for a probe into whether race was a factor in the incident as advocacy groups voiced concerns over police violence against minorities.

A protest march is planned for Saturday in Ottawa, and more than 250 people have indicated on a Facebook events page that they plan to attend.

On Thursday, a Toronto police officer was sentenced to six years in jail for the 2013 fatal shooting of Sammy Yatim, 18, after an altercation on a street car. (Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)

07/29/2016 15:39