Woman testifies Abdirahman Abdi groped her before his arrest

Abdirahman Abdi grabbed a woman's breast through her car window not long before he was violently arrested by police, an Ottawa courtroomheard Wednesday.

The woman was testifying at the trial ofOttawa police Const. Daniel Montsion, who has been charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon inAbdi's death.

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She was called to describe what happened before police were called on July 24, 2016, to the city's Hintonburg neighbourhood, where Abdi was arrested.

The 37-year-olddied in hospital the next day. Montsion has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

CBC cannot name the womanbecause of a court-ordered publication ban.

'Fight or flight mode'

The woman described how she was driving to a spain her car with a friend around 9:30 that morning when she stopped at the corner of Fairmont and Wellington streets, next to the Bridgehead coffee shop.

A man walking through the crosswalk locked eyes with her, she said, and made a beeline for the driver's sidewindow.

The woman said he hadan "intense stare" as he leaned into her car and asked to shake her hand.

Defence lawyer Solomon Friedman identified the man as Abdi.

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The woman testified that, after a prolonged handshake, shetried to pull her hand away but he tightened his gripand told her repeatedly that he wanted to touch her.

She said he held her hand tightly as he reached in with hisother hand and grabbed her breast, squeezing repeatedly. The woman testified shewent into "fight or flight mode," pulling back her hand and driving forward.

She agreed with Montsion's defence lawyer that it was a physical and sexual attack.

Not relevant to case,Crown argues

The woman testified she initially didn't want to call police, but her friend convinced her to call the non-emergency line to report what happened.

The encounter, she told court,has had a lasting impact.

It took her a year-and-a-half to feel comfortable driving with her windows down, and she still won't walk through Hintonburg on foot even though she works in the neighbourhood.

She said she's afraid to thinkhow the encounter would have gone if she had not been in her car.

Montsion's defence team hasmade several references to Abdi sexually assaulting women before police were called.

Earlier in the trial, Crown counsel Roger Shallows told courtnothing that happened before the altercation between Abdi and police should have any bearing on the criminal charges against Montsion.

But the Crown is obligated to present a fair narrative of the events leading up to Abdi's death.