We are deeply disappointed that yet another police officer has eluded conviction for killing a Black man. Justice Robert Kelly’s recent verdict that found Constable Daniel Montsion not guilty of all charges in the killing of Abdirahman Abdi, causes angst and pain for many Somali, Black and other communities across Canada still reeling from a pandemic and a summer of police violence against Black people.
It is agonizing to watch as Abdirahman Abdi – murdered due to excessive and deadly force by an officer sworn to uphold the constitution and protect every citizen- has been denied justice in death, as he was in life. This acquittal, on top of the countless others that have come before it, makes it clear that the legal standards governing these cases of police violence must be corrected.
At this time, our thoughts are with Mr. Abdi’s family and friends. They have endured the agonizing pain of losing a loved one at the hands of police, a pain that far too many Black families have been forced to confront.