Deadly weapon? Ottawa police assault gloves scrutinized after officer charged in death

Questions are being raised about reinforced gloves used by Ottawa police following the death of a man last year, and CBC News has learned that an internal police audit of all gloves issued to officersis underway.

Const. DanielMontsionis facing charges ofmanslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon, which were laid last week by Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit.

• Ottawa police officer charged with manslaughter in man's 2016 death
• Timeline:AbdirahmanAbdi'sfatal encounter with Ottawa police

On July 24,AbdirahmanAbdilost vital signs during a confrontation withMontsionand another officer as they attempted to arrest him for allegedly groping people inside a coffee shop. Abdi, who had as yet unspecified mental health issues, was eventually restrained and handcuffed just outsidethe entrance to his apartment building nearby.

"When Abdi is lying on the ground, face down and still, the constable who's been charged punches him in the head very violently, twice, and we never see Abdi move again," said Heather Badenoch, one of the few people whohave seen an unreleasedsurveillance video depicting the confrontation.

"When we were watching the video and then those two punches, we gasped, because it was so disproportionate to what was needed. Nothing was needed at that point. He was on the ground, he was face down, he wasn't moving. [It]didn't make any sense, the level of violence that we saw."

Abdiwaspronounced dead in hospital the following day.

Cellphone video footage ofMontsioncrouched besidean unconsciousAbdi just minutesafterthe confrontationshowsMontsionwearing what looks to be a set ofOakleyStandard Issue "assault gloves,"with the Oakley insignia clearly visible.

A source familiar with the case saidMontsionwas wearing thatbrand of gloves during the arrest.

A policesource close to the investigation said the gloves are central to Montsion's assault with a weapon charge.Montsion'srelease conditions state he's prohibited from possessing weapons, and also prohibited from possessing "any gloves with hardened knuckle plating."

'Think about it as a pair of brass knuckles'

The assault gloves, manufactured byOakleyStandard Issue, are available for purchase on the company'spublicly accessible military and government saleswebsite.

They featurea thick piece of carbon fibre over the knuckles, among other modifications.

"They're going to be mainly used in live-action combat for active military members, as well as on-duty police officersshould they need to make a break-in to a window or anything that would involve glass," said anOakleyStandard Issuesales representative who identified herself as Sarah P.

"Think about it as a pair of brass knuckles on a glove. Obviously it's a little bit of a different material, but it's still going to have the same kind of effectiveness just because of the thick piece of carbon fibre in there."

Internal audit of all gloves underway

Ottawa police CFO JeffLetourneausent a letter to Ottawa police inspectors Monday afternoon, advising them that police Chief CharlesBordeleauwants anaudit of all gloves issued to officers for on-duty use.

The letter, obtained by CBC News, states that the force's quartermaster has already documented all gloves issued through it, but that "several sections" within the force have purchased gloves "directly without going through [the quartermaster].

"I am asking each of you to review your respective directorates and document any gloves purchased directly by sections within your chain of command," the letter reads.

The deadline is Wednesday, March 22.

Bordeleauhas refused to comment on this story, saying the matter is now before the courts.

"The questions you are asking relate directly to an ongoing SIU investigation and the matter is presently before the criminal courts. Therefore, we are prohibited from answering the questions asked," Bordeleau wrote in an emailed statement.

Some units issued reinforced gloves

Some Ottawa police officers get reinforcedgloves, according to spokespersonConst. Marc Soucy.

"Some units have them issued to them, and some don't," Soucy said.

According to a police source, Montsion was issued the gloves in his role as a member of thedirect action response team, or DART, which monitorsstreet gang activity for the guns and gangs unit. Montsion was assisting patrol officers the day the confrontation took place.

The policesource added that Ottawa police don't get specific training on how to use the gloves.

Abdirahman Abdi arrest reaction

8 years ago

Duration 1:51

Police kneel and stand by the bloodied and handcuffed Abdirahman Abdi as people inside an apartment building cry out. Warning, some people may find this video disturbing.

Ottawa police refused to provide moreinformation about the gloves including which officers have access tothem, when the force acquired them, and protocols for use citing theSIU investigation.

The force later advised that questions about the gloves would only be answered through a freedom of information request.

Toronto police, meanwhile, told CBC News that officers in its emergency task force (ETF) unit havebeen using gloves reinforced with a "plastic moulding over the knuckle area" for more than 20 years.

"Often, when ETF officers must force their way into a location they face hazards such as broken glass, jagged metal/wood from door frames, locks, hinges, etc.Some gloves do have a plastic moulding over the knuckle area, but these are for officers using door rams or other breaching tools," force spokesperson Meaghan Gray wrote in an emailed statement.

Asked specifically whether Toronto police are allowed to strike people wearingthegloves with moulding over the knuckles, Gray didn't rule it out.

"In a dynamic situation, officers are allowed to use reasonable force as necessary and while that may involve force by hand, is it reasonable to expect an officer to remove their gloves first? While none of our gloves are issued for a purpose other than protection, I simply can't speculate on how the gloves factor into every incident," Gray wrote.

Gloves not considered weapons by ministry

The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Servicesis responsible for approving weapons used by police in the provinceandestablishes technical standards for them.

The ministry said Tuesday that protective equipmentincluding gloves, helmets and vestsare not classified as weapons and therefore don't need to be approved.

The Ottawa Police Services Board does not have a policy specific to reinforced gloves, boardchair EliEl-Chantirywrote in anemailedstatement.

"The Police Services Act of Ontario prohibits members of the police services board from being involved in day-to-day police operations, and this would include matters related to equipment needs of officers," he wrote.

The Ontario Police College which is responsible for the basic training of all police in Ontario does not teach use-of-force techniques related to gloves, including assault gloves,according to Brent Ross, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

The college also does not keep track of which police forces use the gloves, Ross said.

'No different from a baton'

The lack of training onthe specialized glovessurprisesMichael Kempa, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa who focuseson policing and the politics of security.

"My understanding is that these gloves will help you punch through a window without damaging your hands. So if you're thinking that you might be striking members of the public with those gloves in a confrontation, you've got to have proper training," he said.

"It's no different from a baton or handcuffs or any other weapon pepper spray, for example that the police might have to use."

Police officers should be trained on whento use the gloves, as well as how, Kempa said.

"I think we can imagine that if the police are running a raid, breaking down the doors and windows of a house for a high-conflict arrest, the gloves might be completely appropriate. Patrolling the streets, there may be moments when it's appropriate, but we'd like to know when it is and when it isn't," he said.

"They are platedand they become like a weapon, really rather like brass knuckles. So it is concerning that we don't seem to have a very clear protocol for when the gloves are supposed to be used and not used."