Disciplinary listening to officer Supt. Chris Rheaume mentioned the ”public curiosity” was a think about his determination, as Brisebois’s expenses have ”eroded public belief,” and ”strained” the repute of the Ottawa Police Service.
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An Ottawa police officer who wielded a knife in a 2020 home dispute whereas threatening to kill his ex has been demoted for 2 years regardless of requires his dismissal from the drive by advocates for victims of home violence.
Const. Yourik Brisebois, 43, pleaded responsible to 2 counts of discreditable conduct laid below Ontario’s Police Providers Act. The disciplinary course of got here after he had been discovered responsible earlier this 12 months of uttering demise threats to a girl and possessing a kitchen knife for the aim of committing an offence. A decide then granted Brisebois, a detective with the Ottawa Police Service’s little one exploitation unit, a conditional discharge, that means he’ll serve no jail time and may have no felony report if he abides by circumstances imposed throughout sentencing.
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In a call launched Dec. 11, disciplinary listening to officer Supt. Chris Rheaume sentenced Brisebois to a two-year demotion from First Class Constable to Second Class Constable, agreeing with a joint submission by counsel for Brisebois and the police service.
In accordance with an agreed-upon assertion of info, Brisebois brandished a kitchen knife and mentioned one thing to the impact of, “Are you kidding me? You’re afraid as a result of I’ve a knife. What, you’re taking part in the sufferer now?” and threatened repeatedly to kill the girl. Brisebois later apologized for his behaviour, and the couple broke up shortly thereafter.
Rheaume mentioned “public curiosity” was a think about his determination, as the costs towards Brisebois had “eroded public belief” and “strained” the repute of the Ottawa Police Service.
“The peace of mind that law enforcement officials is not going to utter threats or threaten to make use of a weapon towards their partner is crucial to the general public’s belief and confidence in policing,” Rheaume wrote in his determination. “Law enforcement officials shouldn’t reply with intimidation or violence towards their partner or common-law accomplice. Law enforcement officials should at all times conduct themselves professionally, whether or not on responsibility or off responsibility.”
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He added the severity of Brisebois’s misconduct was aggravated by the truth that Brisebois had been a police officer for nearly 20 years on the time of the incident and labored as a detective within the drive’s home violence unit.
Moreover, Brisebois ought to have used higher judgment, Rheaume wrote.
Earlier this fall, a joint letter signed by greater than a dozen home violence organizations referred to as for Brisebois to be fired, saying his continued employment “grossly undermines the service’s tasks as an employer, a neighborhood accomplice with a excessive diploma of authority and energy, and a service meant to intervene in instances of intimate accomplice violence.”
On Friday, Yamikani Msosa, government director of the Ottawa Coalition to Finish Violence Towards Girls and a signatory of the letter, mentioned the disciplinary determination confirmed a scarcity of accountability.
“Time and time once more we are able to’t simply take a look at police and carceral programs for accountability,” she mentioned. “As a result of time and time once more they fail.”
She famous the letter additionally referred to as for these home violence instances investigated by Brisebois to be reviewed by gender-based violence advocates.
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“We acknowledge the OPS is making an attempt to be accountable with the demotion and inside overview, however, once more, it doesn’t fall in step with our asks,” Msosa mentioned.
The letter to town’s police chief, mayor and council on Oct. 30 additionally mentioned failures of how intimate accomplice violence and violence towards ladies had been dealt with remained “a long-standing difficulty that must be addressed” inside the Ottawa Police Service and the felony justice system broadly.
“There are well-established threat elements that may predict whether or not an abuser will go on to perpetrate additional abuse or femicide,” the letter learn. “Police must be well-versed in these threat elements.”
Matthew Cox, President of the Ottawa Police Affiliation mentioned Brisebois had accepted duty for his actions.
In a press release, he mentioned the Ottawa Police Affiliation “doesn’t condone this habits and is happy Constable Brisebois took duty pleading responsible with an agreed assertion of info and joint penalty of 24-month demotion to second class Constable.”
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