Windsor police officer guilty of discreditable conduct for donation to Freedom Convoy
Windsor police officer guilty of discreditable conduct for donation to Freedom Convoy
Demonstrators block traffic on Huron Church Road near the Ambassador Bridge border crossing in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. (Bob Bellacicco / CTV Windsor)
A Windsor police officer was found guilty of discreditable conduct for his donation to the Freedom Convoy.
Const. Michael Brisco, 44, was convicted of the single count in a Police Services Act hearing Friday.
Brisco admitted to making a $50 online donation to support the protest in Ottawa which he believed was a “noble cause.”
BREAKING.. WPS Const Michael Brisco has been found guilty of discreditable conduct for donating $50 to the Freedom Convoy @CTVWindsor
His Feb. 7 2022 donation was made after the protest in Ottawa was declared an illegal occupation by the city’s Chief of Police, and the same day the Ambassador Bridge blockade started in Windsor.
At the time, Brisco was off on an unpaid leave of absence for not complying with the Windsor Police Service (WPS) COVID-19 vaccine directive.
During his six-day hearing this past February, Brisco testified he didn’t think he’d ever be able to return to work as a police officer and he saw his donation as a civilian action.
In his 18-page decision, hearing adjudicator retired OPP Sgt. Morris Elbers ruled the WPS vaccine directive was “very clear” and that there was no reason for Brisco to think he was no longer an employee.
“The evidence in my opinion is overwhelming, and I do not believe a reasonable person could reach any other conclusion,” Elbers wrote.
During his evidence, Brisco testified he had read and understood the directive and acknowledged it did not threaten termination for not complying.
But Brisco maintained this unpaid leave was different from a paternity leave because his weapons and work-issued electronics were taken from him.
While describing Brisco as an “intelligent officer,” Elbers also wrote, “it appeared to me he (Brisco) cherry picked his answers in relation to being a member.”
Elbers then turned his focus to whether or not Brisco’s donation constituted discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act.
“He (Brisco) believes his Charter Rights were breached,” Elbers wrote. “He (Brisco) argued he (made the donation) as a civilian and it was (an) anonymous donation only found out by his service due to the hacked documents,” Elbers wrote.
Brisco’s name appeared on a leaked list of supporters, which was sent to the OPP’s Intelligence Branch for investigation.
Brisco made the $50 donation on Feb. 7 2022, five days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared the Ottawa occupation illegal and the same day protestors arrived in Windsor at the Ambassador Bridge.
“It is clear at the time of Const. Brisco’s donation that the protest was unlawful,” wrote Elbers.
During his testimony, Brisco told the tribunal he was an avid consumer of information about the Freedom Convoy on social and mainstream media.
But he denied knowing about the Ambassador Bridge protest.
“I find that statement remarkable,” said Elbers. “I am sure all media sites would have shown the issues in Windsor.”
Brisco testified he did not support blocking the Ambassador Bridge that his money was meant for Tamara Lich in Ottawa.
But Elbers was critical of that point as well, writing, “The person placing the donation has no power to dictate where the contribution ought to be headed. It is out of your control.”
“The money enabled the protestors and made it more difficult for the police being on the opposite side. “I understand it was a cause he (Brisco) believed in but this does not render it okay when you are a member of police service.”
Elbers then found Brisco guilty of discreditable conduct.
Brisco declined requests for an on-camera interview outside police headquarters pending conclusion of the matter.
But he did say to reporters, “I want to get back to doing my job and this is holding me back.”
Both lawyers, David Amyott for the Windsor Police Service and defence lawyer Shane Miles declined to comment until the matter is concluded later this year.
A one-day penalty hearing will now be held on May 4.
According to the lawyers and Elbers, the penalty for discreditable conduct could be anywhere from a verbal reprimand to dismissal.
The allegation required six days for testimony and arguments, heard from three witnesses and resulted in 13 exhibits.
A second Windsor police officer, Const. Brooke Fazekas is facing a similar charge of discreditable conduct for allegedly donating to the Freedom Convoy, but a date has yet to be set for that hearing.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to assure Canadians that his government is adequately addressing the threat of foreign interference took a hit on Wednesday, when the majority of MPs in the House of Commons voted for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside.'
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – were hospitalized after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar. However, many of the children are now being discharged and sent home, according to an update from the hospital.
Although bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Canada, experts say there’s a significant lack of awareness surrounding whom it affects the most — statistically, men — and that the most common risk factor is smoking.
Canada will soon require health warnings to be printed directly on individual cigarettes, making it the first country to implement this kind of measure aimed at reducing tobacco usage.
More than three years after COVID was declared a global pandemic, a new study is looking at how the international health crisis has changed the lifestyle habits of Canadians.
A year after arguing Nigeria's ruling party is responsible for terrorist acts, the Trudeau government has sent a cabinet minister to celebrate the swearing-in of its new president.
The Canadian economy grew faster than expected in the first three months of the year and likely expanded again in April, fuelling speculation that the Bank of Canada will raise interest rates again.
Statistics Canada says fewer fresh fruits and vegetables were available to Canadians in 2022, due to factors such as ongoing supply chain issues, labour shortages and price increases.
A 72-year-old from Kitchener has been charged with careless driving after a vehicle careened off Highland Road West and smashed through the backyards of three homes on Ralgreen Crescent in Kitchener Tuesday afternoon.
Friday marks PD Day in London, Ont., and with kids having the day off school, parents might be wondering what they can do to keep their kids occupied. From science experiments, to scavenger hunts and swimming, here are some of the activities at play across the city.
A sentencing hearing got underway for the 71-year-old Georgian Bay man convicted of driving impaired and causing a collision on Highway 12 in 2020 that claimed the life of a 77-year-old Midland man.
Police charged one man following a serious collision involving a dump truck and car in Barrie on Tuesday afternoon that sent both drivers to the hospital.
Huntsville OPP has charged a third girl in connection to an alleged assault captured on video at a local high school and shared on social media earlier this month.
Huntsville OPP has charged a third girl in connection to an alleged assault captured on video at a local high school and shared on social media earlier this month.
Forest fires in northern Ontario are on the rise, with the largest in the region shutting down a critical highway for the people of Hornepayne for a bit and bringing the community to the brink of evacuation.
A Toronto woman says she was shamed for the size of her order at a sushi restaurant north of the city in a scathing review posted to social media that’s been viewed more than 1.4 million times.
Ontario Provincial Police have arrested a 21-year-old man from Ottawa in connection with the shooting deaths of two teens from Mississauga in Pembroke, Ont. A third teenager, also from Mississauga, was injured.
A heat warning is in effect for Ottawa. Environment Canada's forecast calls for sunny and hot weather to continue for the final day of May and the start of June.
Canadian Heritage unveiled the programming for July 1 celebrations, inviting Canadians to come to the capital region to "join the biggest party in the country!"
The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Brad Treliving to be the team's new general manager. The team made the announcement Wednesday, less than two weeks after firing Kyle Dubas.
A Toronto woman says she was shamed for the size of her order at a sushi restaurant north of the city in a scathing review posted to social media that’s been viewed more than 1.4 million times.
Last year, Quebec’s Bill 96 became law, which brought sweeping changes to the Charter of the French language. Sections of the new law will come into effect on June 1, the one-year anniversary of the bill receiving royal assent.
Some communities in Quebec are expected to get record-high temperatures and Environment Canada has issued several weather warnings and watches for heat. Dr. Christopher Labos spoke to CTV News anchor Mutsumi Takahashi about heat and sunstroke and tips for preventing serious consequences in the sun.
Louise Avon, brutally murdered on March 31, 2022 in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts by her husband in the throes of a crack-induced psychotic delirium, might still be alive if Quebec hadn't "failed miserably in its role of protecting the public."
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – were hospitalized after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar. However, many of the children are now being discharged and sent home, according to an update from the hospital.
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – were hospitalized after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar. However, many of the children are now being discharged and sent home, according to an update from the hospital.
A man who slammed an Edmonton mother to the ground and strangled her outside of a downtown daycare in 2021 has had his nine-year prison sentence reduced to four years.
More horror stories are emerging from Surrey Memorial Hospital, as a series of public letters written by frontline staff continue to highlight the perils of staff shortages.
After the remains of Madison Scott were identified this week, exactly 12 years after the B.C. woman went missing, her family says they’re still looking for answers and closure.
Demonstrators block traffic on Huron Church Road near the Ambassador Bridge border crossing in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. (Bob Bellacicco / CTV Windsor)
