Ottawa police chief 'deeply regrets' violent arrest of Black man in case of mistaken identity

“Look, no doubt, this was a very unfortunate set of circumstances where an innocent man was arrested.”

Published Mar 25, 2024 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 2 minute read

Ottawa police Chief Eric Stubbs Photo by Tony Caldwell /POSTMEDIA

Ottawa police Chief Eric Stubbs says he “deeply regrets” that a 27-year-old Black man was violently arrested by police in a case of mistaken identity.

As first reported by CBC Ottawa, police forcefully arrested Kane Niyondagara on Feb. 16, believing they were apprehending a suspect in a Jan. 29 homicide in Little Italy.

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Niyondagara, a Black man, said he was shocked with a stun gun, pinned down, struck in the face and handcuffed before officers realized they had arrested the wrong man. Police have been searching for Gibriil Bakal, who is wanted for first-degree murder in connection to the fatal shooting that occurred at a student housing complex in Little Italy.

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Stubbs said officers had been canvassing the Innes Road area for leads, and a community member directed them to the homicide suspect’s location. But instead police arrested Niyondagara.

“Look, no doubt, this was a very unfortunate set of circumstances where an innocent man was arrested,” Stubbs told reporters Monday. “I deeply regret it occurred.”

A video shared with CBC captures part of Niyondagara’s arrest, showing three police officers on top of a man. One can be seen forcing his knee into the man’s back multiple times. A fourth officer then enters the frame and forces the man’s face down into the snow. Niyondagara said he was again shocked with a stun gun while on the ground.

“I was like, ‘Why? Why would you Tase me? What did I do?’ ” Niyondagara told CBC. “Nobody told me.”

Stubbs defended the actions of the police officers, though, saying they believed they were approaching an “armed and dangerous homicide suspect.”

Stubbs added he has reached out to Niyondagara and his family, and also tried to contact the man’s lawyer.

While he said he regrets it happened, Stubbs stopped short of publicly apologizing Monday, saying he didn’t want to “do these things through the media” but would prefer to speak with Niyondagara in person.

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He added that efforts to contact Niyondagara and his family had so far been unsuccessful.

During a meeting of the Ottawa Police Services Board, the governing body tasked with police oversight, Coun. Marty Carr asked if the OPS tracks how many arrests are made due to mistaken identity and how many mistaken arrests involve racialized people.

“What initiatives is the OPS undertaking to minimize these cases of mistaken identity?”

These questions will be addressed at a future meeting of the police board.

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