Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, which probes incidents of police-related deaths, said in a news release that officers responded to a call on Sunday about a man who was groping people at a coffee shop in downtown Ottawa. They tried to arrest Abdi outside his apartment building.

"At some point during the confrontation, the man suffered medical distress," the SIU said.

Witnesses told the Ottawa Citizen, however, that Abdi was pepper-sprayed and "beaten by multiple officers."

Another witness told CBC News that a second cop who arrived "immediately started beating the suspect with his fists in the face and head."

A neighbour of Abdi's who recorded part of the violent arrest told Metro she saw officers kneel on the back of Abdi’s head during the altercation. Shukri Samater also described Abdi as "not well" and dealing with mental health issues. She suggested a language barrier may have exacerbated the situation.