Violent arrest of Ottawa man a case of mistaken identity, say police

Kane Niyondagara is looking for answers and an apology after Ottawa police officers mistook him for a wanted suspect and violently arrested him.

"There," he said as he pointed to the intersection at Innes Road and Lanthier Drive. "I got shot for the first time with the Taser in my back."

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

On Feb. 16, the 27-year-old was leaving the Starbucks and heard police sirens. When he turned around, he says police had weapons pointed at him.

"I put my hands up, they told me to get on my knees without asking me for my ID or anything," said Niyondagara.

The 27-year-old moved to Ottawa with his parents and three siblings eight years ago. He says police aren't trusted in Burundi. He felt he didn't do anything wrong and didn't want to end up in jail. Out of fear and confusion, he ran.

"So I kept running to this point where the officer tackled me on the ground. He punched me on the right side of the eye here and he also hit me on my body," he explained.

Niyondagara says there were at least two other officers present when he was arrested at Prestwick Drive and Summerlands Crescent.

"The police asked me if I knew a Gibriil," he said.

Ottawa Police say they got a call that a man seen on Innes Road fit the description of a wanted person.

OPS might have been referring to Gibriil Bakal of Edmonton. He is wanted for first-degree murder in connection with a fatal shooting in Little Italy. He is described as a black male and 6-foot-1.

When police realized it wasn't the man they were looking for, Niyondagara was released.

In a statement, police tell CTV Ottawa "while we will not provide further comments on the incident, so as to protect the privacy of the individual, we can confirm that it was a case of mistaken identity. The person was spoken to and released unconditionally. The call for service was reviewed by the chain of command at the time. The OPS is reaching out to the person to discuss the police response and any concerns."

Following the violent arrest, Niyondagara says he had pain from the right side of his eye down to his jaw, which made chewing his meals difficult. He has since recovered from his physical injuries but it has taken a toll mentally.

"I'm trying to bring out and let go of all the bad emotions," he said.

Niyondagara has since filed a complaint with the Ottawa Police Service, looking for an apology from the officer who assaulted him. He says he got an email on March 2 from police acknowledging his complaint was received, citing it would take at least two business days to appear in the system. He has yet to hear back.