Ottawa cop found guilty in domestic dispute back on active duty
Kristy Nease | CBC News | Posted: May 30, 2023 4:32 PM | Last Updated: September 29, 2023
Const. Yourik Brisebois brought back to work more than a year before he was found guilty of criminal charges
An Ottawa police officer found guilty of threatening to kill a woman during a 2020 domestic dispute, while in possession of a kitchen knife, has resumed active duty, according to the Ottawa Police Association.
The crimes happened in late July that year, and Const. Yourik Brisebois was arrested 12 days later.
He was suspended with pay for 18 months, from August 2020 to February 2022, according to Ottawa police. Suspensions without pay are not permitted by the Ontario Police Services Act until after an officer has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment.
The act also gives police chiefs and police oversight boards the power to revoke suspensions as deemed appropriate, before any charges are dealt with in court.
Brisebois was brought back to work more than a year before he was found guilty and sentenced. He was given administrative duties upon his return, the police force said, and has since been assigned to active duty, according to Matthew Cox, president of the Ottawa Police Association (the union representing Ottawa police officers and civilians).
Pleaded not guilty
In December 2022, Brisebois pleaded not guilty on the first day of a two-day trial in Ottawa's Ontario Court of Justice, court records show.
On March 23, he was found guilty of both charges against him — knowingly uttering a threat to cause death and possessing a kitchen knife for the purpose of committing an offence — by an out-of-town judge. (Criminal cases involving police are handled by judges from other jurisdictions to prevent bias.)
On May 4, Justice Janet O'Brien gave Brisebois a conditional discharge, meaning he'll have no criminal record if he abides by the terms of a three-year probation order.
He must not contact the victim, nor possess any weapons except those required for policing and only during work hours, and must attend and actively participate in any programs he was ordered to complete, among other conditions.
Brisebois must also pay two victim surcharge fines totalling $200 within 60 days. The resolution of the case was first reported by The Ottawa Citizen.
Brisebois was represented by defence lawyer Sean May. In an email Monday, May said neither he nor his client would comment.
The Crown, Peter Napier, did not respond to a request for comment.
In 2020, Brisebois earned about $117,000, which lowered to about $114,000 in 2021, and in 2022 he earned about $127,000, according to Ontario's sunshine list, which names public sector employees paid more than $100,000 in any given year.
Now that his criminal matter has concluded, an internal investigation by the Professional Standards Unit is expected, Cox said.
Corrections:- An earlier version of this story stated Brisebois was convicted of two criminal charges. In fact, he was found guilty of the charges, but no conviction will be registered as long as he abides by the terms of a three-year probation order. September 29, 2023 7:32 PM
- An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled the name of the officer. His first name is Yourik. October 5, 2023 2:50 PM