Cop pleads guilty to donating to ‘Freedom Convoy’
Constable’s conduct ‘fell well below the reasonable expectation’ held by public, tribunal hears
A police officer who twice donated to the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protest, which blockaded parts of downtown Ottawa last winter for weeks, has pleaded guilty to police misconduct charges.
At an Ottawa Police Service (OPS) discipline hearing Thursday, Const. Kristina Neilson said little other than “I plead guilty, sir.”
A joint submission on a penalty from the service’s lawyer and Neilson’s union representative recommended she should be docked 40 hours of pay and required to participate in a restorative justice process, where members of the public can confront her with how the protest affected their lives.
“Const. Neilson’s conduct fell well below the reasonable expectation that the public has” of the OPS and its officers, said Angela Stewart, a police lawyer acting as the prosecutor for the case. “The ‘Freedom Convoy’ wreaked havoc on the city of Ottawa for weeks … The effect of fundraising was to prolong it.
“The public expects that officers are going to uphold the law and not make donations to an unlawful protest,” Stewart added.
Awritten decision on the decorated officer’s penalty will be posted to the OPS website soon, said retired superintendent Chris Renwick, who presided over the hearing.
During the hearing, it emerged that Neilson, 41, made two donations to the convoy.
The first, for $55, was made on Jan. 23 on the GoFundMe platform, according to the agreed statement of facts. After GoFundMe determined that the convoy was an illegal occupation, donations were refunded, including Neilson’s on Feb 5.
On Feb. 4, Peter Sloly, then chief of the OPS, declared the protest to be an “unlawful occupation.”
The next day, Neilson made a second $55 donation to the convoy, this one via a different online platform, GiveSendGo, the statement of facts said. It was also refunded, on March 25.
Stewart said the second donation is particularly troubling.
“Instead of drawing the obvious conclusion that making a donation to the convoy might be problematic, Const. Neilson turned right around and redonated the money to another fundraising platform,” she said.
“At best, we can consider this to be extremely poor judgment … It’s clearly a marked departure from the high standard of conduct to which OPS members can and must be held.”
Stewart said the OPS learned of the GiveSendGo donation in February — though she didn’t say how — and a professional standards investigation was launched.
On Feb. 22, the Star first broke the story that more than a dozen police officers from three Ontario services — Ottawa, Toronto and the OPP — appeared on a leaked list of GiveSendGo donors to the “Freedom Convoy.” The story did not name the officers who donated.
The story confirmed suspicions voiced by Ottawa residents that some officers were sympathetic to the protest. On social media, videos circulated showing officers standing by while protesters walked by carrying jerry cans, in defiance of a police order. Another popular video showed an officer letting protesters take selfies in the back of his cruiser, pretending to be arrested.
Protesters, including some truckers with big rigs, arrived in Ottawa in late January to rally against vaccine mandates. The protest quickly ballooned into a full occupation of the area around Parliament Hill, complete with shelters and logistical supply lines including fuel for the trucks blocking key intersections. Hot tubs and saunas were also erected, along with stages and sound systems.
A judge issued an injunction to prevent protesters from sounding their horns and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the protest was “illegal.”
Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 and a massive police operation was launched to clear the streets of parked trucks and protester camps.
Stewart said Neilson’s record as a
A joint submission on a penalty recommended Const. Kristina Neilson should be docked 40 hours of pay
police officer is otherwise unblemished and she has taken responsibility for her actions. In an interview with the professional standards unit, Neilson admitted to both donations.
Neilson’s representative, Sgt. Patrick LaFlamme, said she is a “high performer” and received three medals of service during a 12-year career with the Canadian Navy before joining the Ottawa police.
She was also recognized by the OPS, shortly after joining the force, for helping pull a teenage girl from the frigid April waters of the Rideau River after the girl had jumped off a bridge. The girl was unharmed.