Police have charged an Ottawa man with manslaughter in connection with the beating death of another man last month near Ottawa's ByWard Market.

On the evening of May 17 police and paramedics were called to the scene of a disturbance on King Edward Avenue and found a man with a serious head injury.

Blue Lonechild, 28, of Ottawa, was taken to hospital but died two weeks later on June 2.

A man was arrested the night of the incident and initially charged with aggravated assault.

Police have now upgraded charges against Joseph Cottreau, 45, to manslaughter. He remains in police custody.