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WARNING

Yusuf Abdirahim, 20, died May 21st, 2011.

Abdirahim was Edmonton's 23rd homicide victim of the year.

No charges were laid.

"At approximately 3 a.m., an officer on patrol came across an unconscious male in the street," a police spokesman later recounted.

"He was treated on scene and taken to hospital. It was lucky police came across him."

But the man's luck didn't hold.

Two days after he was found near 149th Avenue and 71st Street, the 20-year-old succumbed to his injuries.

Witnesses described a vicious attack. One woman said she had heard a loud crash.

"I'm very worried now. It's normally very quiet and no problems, and now this, and the police here asking us questions," said the woman whose 10-year-old son had woken to shouting.

Several reported seeing three men and one woman involved in an altercation – apparently over a vehicle.

"I heard one guy say 'I didn't do nothing to your car, I don't want to fight,' " the eye-witness said.

"I think they were maybe in a gang, they kept saying 'homie.' "

All interviewed did not want to be identified for fear of retribution, including a woman who told CBC Edmonton she saw a man being "chased down the street, dragged back and savagely beaten."

"A group of people beating down one person. A girl screaming 'he's dead he's dead.' They were calling him, you know, 'goof' and all these other like horrible names," the woman said.

"And like the kid was just unconscious laying on the group and they repeatedly kicked him."

Police gathered evidence related to what investigators termed an aggravated assault and conducted door-to-door inquiries in the neighbourhood as well as interviewing witnesses.

It soon emerged that the deceased man was a Somali-Canadian.

Mahamed Accord, president of Edmonton’s Alberta Somali Community Centre, said he learned of the beating within hours of it taking place and had been in contact with the man’s family.

"I contacted the family and asked them if they need any help," Accord said. "We have been working back and forth with the family as well as the police."

On May 25th, at about the same time the man's funeral was being held, police identified him as 20-year-old Yusuf Abdirahim.

In addition, the Medical Examiner's autopsy concluded the manner of Abdirahim's death was homicide.

Police said investigators had spoken to witnesses, including the other male involved in the incident. However, no charges were laid and detectives were not looking for any other persons.

Abdirahim grew up in Edmonton and his name was added to a still-growing list of young men from Somalia and the Horn of Africa to have lost their lives while living and working in Alberta – see the Last Link's compilation of the deaths on the So many Somalis page.

In an interview with the Edmonton Journal, Farida Adam said she was frustrated by the lack of information provided by detectives investigating her son's murder – read more »

Mahamed Accord said more needed to be done to prevent this segment of the Somali community from falling into high-risk lifestyles.

"What we're hoping for is a program that will deal with youth who are on the street," he said. "We're hoping we can have somewhere where they can come and get help."

Accord said many of the murdered men had previous run-ins with the law or have spent time jail, and that help should to meet them at their level.

"We need to get them help and services, whether in jail or on the streets."

On June 3rd, 2011, Farida Adam told media that police advised her no charges would be laid in connection with her son's death as it was a matter of self-defence.

"I'm not happy with that," Adam said though an interpreter, hiding her face out of fear.

"I want to see the guy caught. I want justice for my son and I want the person who killed my son brought to justice."

The news of no charges left Adam sick with grief with her sadness deepened.

"I'm so emotional, I'm losing sleep," she said. "My body hurts, my head ... I'm so depressed."

Adam had come to Edmonton for answers. Instead, she left with questions.

Police would not comment about any possible charges relating to Abdirahim’s death.

"With any investigation, we endeavour to keep family informed of the progress of the file. This has been the case with Farida Adam, mother of Yusuf," Staff Sgt. Dave Spiers of the homicide section said.

"The investigation is being finalised and, as with all homicide investigations, we will consult with the Crown."

CBC Edmonton quoted police sources who said Abdirahim started the fight, and that the man who punched him was fully co-operative – providing investigators with a statement at the scene that matched a description of events as re-counted by other witnesses.

Going back to the scene, a reporter found one witness who also had difficulties with the conclusion police seemed to be favouring.

"They chased after him and they pretty much beat him and kicked him to death," she said.

"You could hear – this kid screaming and them thumping on this kid – echoing off the buildings around you.

"And then all of a sudden the screams stopped.

"There was five people altogether and two to three that were beating him up. So in my opinion that ain't self defence."

According to CBC Edmonton, the man who punched Abdirahim had already returned home to Saskatchewan. His identity was never revealed.

On June 6th, while speaking to the death three days earlier of 43-year-old Abdi Ali Mohamud, Insp. Stewart Callioux addressed the Abdirahim case, saying the investigation remained open and that charges were still possible.

"We have done a thorough investigation on this homicide, as we have every homicide this year and in past years," Callioux said.

"These investigations are not simple paper reports that you can type into three pages.

"It's a terrible loss of a family to have to bury one of their children before they pass away. And we're doing everything we can to ensure this investigation is handled completely and thoroughly.

"As in every investigation that we handle, we forward the investigation to the Crown for a determination on the best charges, if any charges, that we should proceed with," he said.

But on June 28th, 2011, Edmonton police made it official, saying that no charges would be laid.

Investigators said they had forwarded their findings to the Crown Prosecutors office for an opinion.

The Crown and the police then jointly concluded that no charges be laid as Abdirahim had been the aggressor and the other individual used reasonable force to defend himself.

Mohamad Accord, president of Edmonton’s Alberta Somali Community Centre, said he was "very saddened" by the news.

"It erodes the confidence we have with police," he said. "They’re not doing enough work."

He said he was disappointed Abdirahim’s family wouldn't have their day in court.

Police said the incident was a "one-punch response to an aggressive action, resulting in Mr. Abdirahim falling and striking his head."

On June 30th, the national president of the Canadian Somali Congress relayed the concerns of Abdirahim's family.

"She spent two months in the city of Edmonton chasing after a solution to this case," Ahmed Hussein said.

"She said everything came down to self-defence and nobody gave her the global context and so she wasn't satisfied with the process."

Hussein added that Abdirahim's family also wanted access to the medical examiner's report and all investigative documents related to the case.

All the information presented on this page has been compiled primarily from published media reports and should not be interpreted as having legal bearing or other prejudice against the individuals named on this web site.
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