Members of Toronto's Somali community say they're upset with the amount of force used by police to take a suspect into custody last week — a suspect who turned out to be the wrong man.
Sharmake Abdi, 26, alleges he was badly roughed up by about eight Toronto police officers on July 22 on Church Street in downtown Toronto.
Police were looking for another man with the same name who was wanted in connection with a July 14 homicide in Scarborough.
Abdi says he suffered cuts and bruises. He wants compensation and an apology.
Toronto police say they acted by the book and won't apologize.
"You have to understand, [police officers were] dealing with a situation where a person is wanted for a homicide investigation, where he's allegedly killed someone, and he's armed with a weapon," police spokesman Const. Tony Vella told CBC News on Tuesday.
Lawyer Russell Silverstein agrees.
"If [police] had that belief that this was the right guy, they were allowed to use as much as force as is necessary to effect the arrest," said Russell.
Abdurahman Jibril, of the Somali-Canadian National Council, is upset with how police handled the situation.
"They have to give an apology, come forward, talk to Mr. Abdi, talk to the community and we will be writing letters to them soon anyway," said Jibril.
This incident, says Jibril, could set back relations between the police and Somali community
"Sharmake Abdi — that's a common Somali name. It's like John Smith. So any time you see a John Smith you don't just grab them, you have to verify them."
Over the last few years, the Somali Community and Toronto police have worked hard to develop a better relationship, with the biggest challenge being to get Somali young people to trust the police
Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner says he hopes the two sides can heal these wounds — and he hopes Sharmake will still consider a future as a police officer.
"I would encourage him not to be deterred from policing," said Taverner. "It is a very honourable profession. Certainly there is a need for Somalian officers."
Jibril says he will still encourage young men and women in the community to join the police, "but at the same time we want to hold the police accountable."
Source: www.cbc.ca
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