Ottawa police purchased the Oakley "assault gloves" Const. Daniel Montsion was wearing the day of Abdirahman Abdi's violent arrest, according to receipts filed as evidence by the officer's lawyers.

Montsion, who repeatedly punched Abdi in the head during the arrest on July 24, 2016, was wearing the gloves, which have reinforced knuckles.

Abdi suffered a heart attack and lost vital signs while lying handcuffed and face down outside his Hintonburg apartment building. Officially, Abdi died in hospital the next day.

Montsion has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in Abdi's death.

The gloves Const. Daniel Montsion wore the day Abdirahman Abdi died have been entered into evidence. (Court exhibit)

Gloves bought at outlet mall

The red-stained gloves were entered as evidence early in the trial, and are at the centre of the weapons charge against Montsion.

The gloves, manufactured by Oakley Standard Issue, are available for purchase on the company's publicly accessible military and government sales website.

Receipts for the same style of Oakley gloves worn by Const. Daniel Montsion during the arrest of Abdirahman Abdi, entered into evidence by the Ottawa police officer's defence on Sept. 11, 2019. (Court exhibit) They feature a thick piece of carbon fibre over the knuckles, among other modifications.

On Wednesday, Montsion's lawyers showed several pairs of gloves were purchased for the police force's direct action response team (DART) by supervisor Sandra Sparling.

The documents "conclusively demonstrate" that Montsion's gloves were purchased by the Ottawa police and issued to him as protective equipment, defence counsel Solomon Friedman said in his opening statement.

Surveillance video from the lobby of 55 Hilda St. showed Abdirahman Abdi's violent arrest by two Ottawa police officers. (Ontario Criminal Court)

The records show Sparling ordered 11 pairs of the gloves online on March 10, 2015.

She purchased more gloves of the "factory pilot gloves" at the Oakley store at Tanger Outlets in Kanata on June 16, 2016. They were priced at $56 per pair.

Earlier in the trial the Crown called use of force expert Michael Federico, a former deputy chief with Toronto police, who explained that the gloves were not approved by the provincial government as weapons for police in Ontario.

The defence argued the gloves were not weapons at all, but part of the police uniform that are also worn by officers in Toronto.

The Crown knew about the receipts, but didn't enter them as evidence, Friedman said Wednesday.

Michael Edelson, left, and Solomon Friedman, right, are representing Const. Daniel Montsion. (Robyn Miller/CBC)

Shortly after Abdi's death in 2016, the Ottawa Police Service ordered an audit of all gloves worn by its officers. That audit has been completed, but both the force and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services have said it won't be released until after Montsion's trial has concluded.