Global Courant
A veteran police officer from Canada’s Peel region was demoted for a year after pleading guilty to “disgraceful conduct” over an April 2021 video showing him hugging and shaking hands with anti-lockdown protesters outside a gym in Mississauga which was open to the public despite provincial residence – home orders.
Const. Paul Brown was demoted from his sergeant position last month after a disciplinary hearing, according to Mississauga News.
The report also detailed that Brown was given flak for views he expressed in the recording, supporting the protesters and noting his disagreement with lockdown and mask mandates in place at the time.
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Peel the regional police decal on a police vehicle during Community Crime Prevention Day in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on September 24, 2022. (Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)
He also did not wear a mask during the recording.
The incident caused an uproar among some in the department at the time, including Peel Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah, who criticized Brown for his refusal to adhere to COVID protocol enforcement.
“When I learned of the incident, I immediately ordered the sergeant to be suspended and launched an Home Office investigation,” Duraiappah said in a statement at the time. “Peel Regional Police is committed to ensuring the safety of our members and the public. Our officers will enforce city and county regulations as required.”
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Retired Superintendent Peter Lennox, the hearing officer who released the decision, later claimed that Brown’s actions could have damaged “public confidence in Peel Regional Police’s willingness to enforce the law,” the report said. Mississippi News.
Sean O’Shea, a reporter for Canada’s Global News, appeared at the location and recorded the video of protesters confronting him, accusing him of “communism” and “fascism” for following the lockdown line.
“Uniformed police sergeant is all hugs with HUF gym supporters before and after one of their group members chased me. No masks. He also offers me a hug. I refuse.
O’Shea criticized Brown for fraternizing with the protesters, especially for refusing to wear a mask during the pandemic.
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A protester stands with a Canadian flag outside the Parliament House in Wellington on February 8, 2022, during a demonstration against the Covid restrictions, inspired by a similar demonstration in Canada. (Photo by MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images)
HUF Gym, the site of the protests, refused to close its doors to customers despite area restrictions. Mississauga News said the establishment’s Instagram shared a separate video of Brown on its page in which he stated his unwillingness to enforce the COVID policy protesters protested.
Brown was suspended at the time and placed on paid leave during an internal investigation.
Despite backlash, Brown’s defense team claimed his actions were done with the intention of keeping the peace rather than advancing an agenda.
Joanne Mulcahy, Brown’s attorney, allegedly told Lennox he would reverse his actions if he could.
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Mulcahy also defended him for attending other protests, including the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa and a separate rally in Toronto on his personal time, arguing that he never identified as a police officer at the event.
Fox News Digital contacted Peel Regional Police for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Taylor Penley is a production assistant at Fox News.
