Confidential settlement reached between Abdi family and Ottawa police board

Abdi's death prompts change in police strategy Ottawa Police develop new plan to deal with mental health calls in the wake of the death of Abdirahman Abdi. CTV's Katie Griffin reports.

Ottawa — The Family of Abdirahman Abdi and the Ottawa Police Services Board have reached an agreement that ends the civil action related to Abdi’s death in 2016, according to a joint statement released Monday evening.

While details of the agreement are confidential, the statement adds that both parties agree that significant improvement should be made to the way Ottawa police respond to mental health events.

“The Family, the Board, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) and the community mourn the death of Mr. Abdi,” the statement reads.

“The Board and OPS recognize the tragedy of Mr. Abdi’s death as well as the need to respect the Family’s healing process.”

This call for changes relating to mental health events, comes the same day the Board heard public delegations on the service’s plan for a mental health strategy.

"The settlement of the civil action in our view represents a recognition by the police that change and significant improvements to the police response must take place and that the time for those changes is now," said Lawrence Greenspon who represented Abdi's family.