Hearing begins for Windsor police officer who allegedly donated to Freedom Convoy
Hearing begins for Windsor police officer who allegedly donated to Freedom Convoy
The police services act hearing for a Windsor Police Officer accused of discreditable conduct began Monday.
Const. Michael Jason Brisco was one of two uniformed officers to face the charge after a leaked list of donors to the cause listed his name.
In an audio clip played for the hearing, Brisco confirms he made the donation - but questioned if it’s within the rights of an officer to protest as a civilian.
Brisco was on unpaid leave when he made the donation by credit card in February 2022 - a leave he was placed on the previous November for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as per Windsor Police Service policy.
Monday’s start to the hearing, which is slated to span three days, saw testimony by Sgt Leah McFadden, with the WPS Professional Standards Branch.
McFadden told the hearing it was Ontario Provincial Police who flagged Brisco’s name on the donor list.
She stated that she was told OPP obtained the list on Feb. 16 from a third party after it was leaked when the GiveSendGo platform was hacked. An investigator was then tasked with looking through the list for any police officers.
Brisco was one of two uniformed Windsor Police Officers to appear, along with a third civilian employee of WPS.
A “Chiefs complaint” was then initiated, and McFadden was tasked with notifying Brisco.
She said she tried to make contact with him by phone twice in the first week of April, but when she didn’t hear back she sent Brisco a notice via Puralator.
Her notes indicate he called her April 12 and they later met for a recorded interview.
In the audio recording, Brisco can be heard confirming that he donated “about $50” to support protestors in Ottawa - though he stopped short of identifying his donation as going to the “Freedom Convoy.”
In the recording he expressed concern that his information had been compromised in the hack of the GiveSendGo website and also asked if a police officer is entitled to protest as a private citizen — to which McFadden could be heard saying yes, so long as that protest is legal in nature.
Through the recording and questioning by the prosecution at Monday’s hearing, McFadden makes clear that the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa was considered illegal as of February 4, when then Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly classifies it as “dangerous and volatile,” and when Ontario Premier Doug ford began characterizing it as an occupation.
Also at that time, Sloly stated funding like that sent through online platforms was enabling “unlawful activities.”
Brisco’s donation came through four days later, on Feb. 8, 2022.
In the recording of his interview with McFadden, Brisco states he believed he had done no wrong as he was supporting a cause he believed in as a private citizen — and that he’d done so based on belief a judge had deemed the protest lawful in judgement granting an injunction limiting the use of horns within Ottawa.
The suspect in a Nashville school shooting on Monday had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before killing three students and three adults in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Here is a summary of the current COVID-19 vaccination guidelines from NACI, for both children and adults who are at increased risk of serious illness and those who are not.
A Canadian Pacific train derailed in rural North Dakota Sunday night and spilled hazardous materials. But local authorities and the railroad said there is no threat to public safety.
The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 skiing collision at one of the most upscale resorts in North America took the stand Monday, saying he was rammed into from behind and sent 'absolutely flying.' The trial in Utah hinges on who crashed into who.
The Calgary Fire Department says at least 10 people were injured in a 'sudden and devastating' explosion in the city's northeast on Monday that completely destroyed one home.
Family and friends of two police officers who were shot and killed while responding to a family dispute gathered in downtown Edmonton Monday to say goodbye to their loved ones.
Toronto MP Han Dong says he is taking legal action over a media report that alleged he spoke to a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 about delaying the release of two Canadians detained in China at the time.
Trevor Hendershott, 37, of Woodstock has been in custody since his arrest on March 9, but on Monday after a bail hearing, he was granted bail with a number of strict conditions.
Closing arguments are being heard at the Sudbury courthouse Monday in the trial for the man accused of killing Renee Sweeney in 1998 with the defence saying there is plenty of reasonable doubt to support an acquittal.
The suspect in a Nashville school shooting on Monday had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before killing three students and three adults in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says it will be up to the new owners of the Senators to decide whether to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats or at another location in Ottawa.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league will evaluate its Pride nights in the offseason after several players have refused to wear Pride-themed jerseys this season.
Police are looking for the public’s assistance in identifying an 'unknown,' non-verbal woman after she was found Monday by a concerned citizen in the Greater Toronto Area.
Police have located and laid a number of charges against a young man who was missing for nearly five days after he was last seen leaving his residence following a house fire and subsequent explosion.
Police say they have found the sixth and seventh bodies inside a building in Old Montreal that burned down 11 days ago and do not expect find any more victims. With the death toll now expected to remain at seven, police said they can begin to focus their efforts on finding the cause of the deadly March 16 fire.
Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel is proposing the bonuses paid to nurses — which are set to expire next Thursday — be extended at least through June.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
A pair of mental health experts in Manitoba are warning that women are putting unrealistic expectations on themselves, leading to burnout and emotional fatigue.
The Calgary Fire Department says at least 10 people were injured in a 'sudden and devastating' explosion in the city's northeast on Monday that completely destroyed one home.
Family and friends of two police officers who were shot and killed while responding to a family dispute gathered in downtown Edmonton Monday to say goodbye to their loved ones.
Family and friends of two police officers who were shot and killed while responding to a family dispute gathered in downtown Edmonton Monday to say goodbye to their loved ones.
Community members and police services from across the country gathered on Monday to mourn two Edmonton Police Service officers killed in the line of duty earlier this month.
On March 27, a regimental funeral was held for Edmonton Police Service Constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan who were killed in the line of duty on March 16, 2023.
The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has ordered that a taxi driver be paid more than $9,000 in compensation because his caste was insulted during a physical altercation at a staff Christmas party.
A stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway in Langley, B.C., has reopened after an hours-long closure due to an incident involving a truck transporting live chickens.
