Windsor police officer guilty of discreditable conduct for donation to Freedom Convoy
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.”
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.