Montrealers protest, claiming police brutality in death of Ottawa man

MONTREAL – Several dozen people gathered in Montreal on Thursday night to remember a 37-year-old Somali-Canadian man who died after a confrontation with police in Ottawa last weekend.

Organizers say Abdirahman Abdi’s death highlights what they call a widespread culture of police brutality that disproportionately victimizes people who are black or mentally ill.

After a number of speeches, the group marched to a local police station where they chanted “Black Lives Matters” at the officers guarding the door.

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit is probing Abdi’s death.

The SIU says Abdi suffered medical distress and died in hospital after a confrontation with officers responding to a disturbance call on Sunday.

A funeral service for Abdi is scheduled for Friday afternoon in Ottawa.