Police force bought Const. Daniel Montsion's 'assault gloves'

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 bythe officer's lawyers.

Montsion, whorepeatedly punched Abdi in the head during the arreston July 24, 2016, was wearing the gloves, which have reinforced knuckles.

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

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

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 byOakleyStandard Issue, are available for purchase on the company'spublicly accessible military and government saleswebsite.

They featurea thick piece of carbon fibre over the knuckles, among other modifications.

On Wednesday, Montsion's lawyers showed several pairs of gloves were purchasedfor 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.

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

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

Earlier in the trial the Crown called use of force expertMichael 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 uniformthat are also worn by officers in Toronto.

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

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