The city councillor for the Kitchisippi ward where a 37-year-old man was involved in a deadly altercation with Ottawa police is asking residents to be patient with that police investigation and not to jump to conclusions.
Still, many groups are doing just that, saying this was police brutality and demanding swift action. That SIU investigation is going to take months. But many of these groups want answers now and believe they already know the truth: that his race and his disability played a role in how it all went down.
Life is back to normal for the tenants at this non-profit building on Hilda Avenue, as normal as it can be after yesterday's dramatic and shocking events; an altercation with Ottawa Police that left one tenant fatally injured and others demanding answers.
“This kind of thing doesn’t happen in Canada,” said a shaken Shukri Samater outside the non-profit apartment building yesterday morning.
Today, some were wondering whether that's in fact the case.
“It’s clear this man was in good condition until he came into contact with police,” said Alicia Lejour with the organization No Justice, No Peace, “and he's suddenly on the ground bleeding. So I’m not too sure how they classify that as a medical emergency and not police brutality.”
Ottawa defence lawyer Leo Russomanno has routinely defended clients over conflicts with police.
“It’s not an unusual situation,” Russomanno said outside the Elgin Street courthouse, “it's not the first time we've heard of excessive use of force and front line officers being inadequately prepared to deal with people with mental health issues.”
The councillor for the area said he's shaken by the events yesterday but is confident the SIU will investigate it thoroughly.
"I would ask residents to wait for the results of that process," Jeff Leiper said on his website, "before jumping to any conclusions. But, rest assured, I want the answers. None of us will rest well until those are forthcoming."
Hana Jama, a Somali Canadian living in Ottawa, believes the answers are already there.
“Okay we don't know anything, let's say that, but at same time we know the man beaten by police was a black man, a Muslim, a Somali and was mentally ill,” Jama said, “and that should be enough to know that what happened to him was messed up.”
Residents at the OCISO Non-Profit Housing Corporation on Hilda are being offered counselling and support services. Their biggest support, though, is coming from within.
"There's a lot of looking out for each other,” said Marie Josée Houle, the executive director of OCISO Nonprofit Housing Corporation, “sharing in each other's joys and tragedies and during times of hardship, the tenants tend to gravitate to each other.”
Amid that grief, there is another call for body cameras for police officers from those in the legal community. They say it would provide direct access to exact evidence of what happened and why.
