Desmond Cole: Police Accountability and Abdirahman Abdi

Desmond Cole! The man needs no introduction - journalist, social activist, and civil rights crusader. Desmond Cole, author of the Toronto Life cover story “The Skin I’m In” about police discrimination against black men, won the National Magazine Award's Gold medal for Best New Magazine Writer. He has a bi-weekly column in the Toronto Star and a weekly radio show on News Talk 1010. Desmond was also the inaugural co-host CanadaLand Commons. So in the wake of yet another high profile death of a black man at the hands of the police - this time in Ottawa - we sat down to talk with Desmond about police accountability and transparency. In late July Abdirahman Abdi died in police custody. According to eye witnesses police beat a hand cuffed Abdi and stood by as he died face down in a pool of his own blood. The police did not administer CPR - instead they tried to confiscate cell phones from bystanders who were taking video. Abdi was unaramed. He was also black. Ottawa's mayor Jim Watson remaned silent for 48 hours (he was on vacation). And since then the mayor has attracted justifiable criticism for backing the police and shouting down those who demand increased police accountability and transparency. So there was a lot to talk about.