A month after restaurant owner's death, friends and family of Sharif Rahman wait for justice
Restaurant owner, 44, died after dispute with men over bill
The Ontario Provincial Police say they continue to investigate the death of Sharif Rahman but have no updates more than a month after the Owen Sound restaurant owner was beaten following a dispute with patrons over an unpaid dinner bill.
On Aug. 17, police were called to reports of an assault at The Curry House restaurant on 2nd Avenue East in downtown Owen Sound, Ont. Rahman, 44, was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries a week later.
Waiting for updates
There was hope an arrest would come quickly when shortly after Rahman's death, police released security camera photos and descriptions of persons of interests. An image of a fleeing vehicle caught on security cameras was also posted by police.
An OPP spokesperson told CBC News on Tuesday the investigation is continuing but that there were no further updates.
Deputy Mayor Scott Greig said people in the community want justice for Rahman, but also understand that homicide cases can be complex and take months to complete.
"We won't have any degree of closure until we learn of an arrest or progress in the case," said Greig. "But there is an understanding in the community that it takes time and that it's a police matter and that police are privy to information that the community is not. We have accepted that."
People in Owen Sound continue to mourn Rahman, who was a popular figure in town. In addition to running his restaurant, Rahman sat on city committees and was involved with the local YMCA.
"After only a couple of years in our community, it felt like Sharif had been part of our community for 20 years," said Greig. Rahman leaves behind a wife and a six-year-old daughter.
On Monday night, Owen Sound held its first scheduled city council meeting since Rahman's death. Mayor Ian Boddy held a minute of silence for Rahman. Later in the meeting, some community members spoke to council to raise concerns regarding safety downtown.
Realtor Mark Barbosa was close friends with Rahman. The pair appeared together in a YouTube video to promote The Curry House. Barbosa also owns a downtown business.
Barbosa is co-organizing a GoFundMe page to raise money to help support Rahman's family. As of Tuesday, more than $243,000 in donations had been pledged.
"A lot of that money came from afar, it just didn't come from Owen Sound," said Barbosa.
As for the police investigation, Barbosa said people in the community are trying to be patient while watching for any updates.
"They want to see justice, or a resolution or progress," he said. "But at the same time, it's not CSI, it's not a TV show where things get solved in an hour."
