'We still haven't accepted this': Family of woman assaulted by Calgary police officer speaks
Dalia Kafi's friends and family remember her as someone who used to light up a room and who loved social gatherings.
"Dalia was a great person," said Bearina Kafi, Dalia's older sister.
"To me, personally, she's been so helpful. To the rest of her siblings, she's been a sister that everyone can want."
But Bearina says Dalia wasn't the same after she was assaulted by a Calgary Police officer in 2017.
A video released during the assault trial for Cst. Alex Dunn shows him throwing Kafi face-first to the ground as her hands were behind her back in handcuffs. Her head bounces off the floor and Kafi is seen bleeding in the video. During the trial, her lawyer said she needed surgery for a broken nose and received stitches on her lip.
* Warning: Video and details in this story may be upsetting to some.
Kafi had been arrested for breaching curfew. Dunn was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm last year.
"I think the effect of that injury to her... it affected her," Bearina said.
"It's not that she expressed what she was feeling, but we can see from her behaviour -- she changed how she used to be," she said.
Dunn was given a 30-day conditional sentence with no jail time in June of this year.
Dalia Kafi being assaulted by CPS officer in 2017
Kafi died suddenly in Red Deer, days before the constable's sentence was handed down. Her friends and family say they are still trying to make sense of her death.
"Up to now, we don't know exactly what happened to Dalia," said Natale Nganzi, a family friend. "It is really shocking and devastating," he said.
A viewing and funeral for Kafi is being held in Edmonton this weekend.
"There's no easy way to describe how we felt or how we're feeling until now. Still, we haven't accepted this," Bearina said.
OFFICER ON LEAVE WITHOUT PAY
The family also hasn't accepted the sentence for Dunn, which they say is far too lenient.
Dunn has been suspended by the Calgary Police Service (CPS) without pay and the service says he's not in possession of his CPS issued gun, use of force equipment or his badge.
"The assault on Dalia by Constable Alex Dunn has been, and continues to be, taken seriously by our Service. It was reported internally and investigated thoroughly," reads a statement from CPS to CTV News.
"Constable Dunn’s conviction and sentencing is certainly not the end of this case. There is a potential for the sentence or conviction to be appealed, but once the criminal court process is complete, we will engage our internal disciplinary process."
Dunn is also the subject of an internal CPS investigation for an unrelated incident that happened in 2012.
The conditional sentence given to Dunn for assault, and her sudden death days before, came as back-to-back blows the family is still trying to deal with.
"We just couldn't understand it. We don't understand how the law came to that conclusion," Bearina said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.