Michael Bryant’s complaints of harsh treatment by Toronto Police proven false

Bryant’s Lawyer praised Police investigation

Bryant Watch August 27, 2012

Michael Bryant in custody

Michael Bryant’s memoir about the night he killed Darcy Allan Sheppard is to be released tomorrow. The book is entitled “28 Seconds” and gives his self-serving account of the events that evening.

Bryant has been on a media tour of soft-ball interviews allowing him to promote the book while avoiding questions regarding the parts of his version that directly conflict with the evidence and or prior statements contained in court transcripts. Bryant revealed that he was an alcoholic until 2006. It’s not known if and when he had any relapses because no one in the media had asked him the question.

One of the new charges Bryant raised is police rushed to judgment when they charged him in Sheppard’s death.

“He is wrong,” police spokesman Mark Pugash protested.

“He had a team of very aggressive, very good lawyers whose job it is to jump on anything that will help their client, and we haven’t heard anything about this (until now),” Pugash said. “If he had all these concerns, why has he been quiet for the last three years? Why have his lawyers not raised a single one of these concerns?”

In fact in the court transcripts Bryant’s lawyer Marie Henein praised the treatment Bryant received from police:

“I want to take a moment to also express our thanks to Detective Britton, Detective Lane, Detective Lalla, for a thorough and evenhanded investigation.

I was confident throughout this case that we would be treated the same as, not better and not worse, than any other accused, that Mr. Peck would do no more and no less than is demanded in the prosecution of any case.”

Darcy Allan Sheppard – A life’s last moments

Mess Media, December 7, 2009

Darcy Allan Sheppard

On August 31, 2009, former attorney general for Ontario, Michael Bryant, killed cyclist Darcy Allan Sheppard in one of the most violent and horrific cases of road rage in Toronto’s history.

Neither Michael Bryant nor his wife, entertainment lawyer Susan Abramovitch, gave statements to police regarding the circumstances that led to Darcy Allan Sheppard’s death. They will have many months to tailor their testimonies to fit the known evidence and weave it seamlessly into a vigorous defense mounted by one of the most elite criminal lawyers in the country.

Bryant’s victim, Darcy Allan Sheppard, who was known as Al to his friends, will not have a voice at the trial. He will not have an opportunity to challenge Michael Bryant’s carefully scripted and rehearsed testimony. He will not have a chance to correct Bryant’s devoted wife and an experienced lawyer when she unconditionally supports her husband of twelve years on the witness stand.

Al’s voice needs to be heard. It’s important that people have an opportunity to understand his life’s last moments. Al could have been any one of us. He just happened to be the cyclist who crossed paths with a driver on the verge of a road rage meltdown.

I have attempted to rebuild those last moments of Al’s life from his point of view. All of the events are based on the factual evidence contained in security camera video, witness statements and news reports. Al’s point of view is also primarily based on the factual evidence as well as my own experiences as a bike messenger and cyclist.

Ride of Silence and Vigil for Darcy Allan Sheppard

Mess Media, August 26, 2010

Toronto cyclists will be holding a ride of silence for slain cyclist Darcy Allan Sheppard at 1pm on Sunday August 29, 2010. The ride starts at Bloor and Avenue Rd.

The ride will be followed by a candlelight vigil later that evening around 7:30pm at Bay and Bloor.

The ride and vigil will commemorate the first anniversary of Sheppard’s death on August 31, 2009.

Sheppard’s courier friends Uncle Dropsi and Sunny D have release a song and video to remember him.

The 33-year old Sheppard was killed after an attack by former Ontario attorney general Michael Bryant.

Witnesses and video evidence showed that Bryant deliberately rammed his car into Sheppard knocking him to the ground. Witnesses also described Bryant as intentionally speeding the wrong way down Bloor Street, mounting the curb and crashing Sheppard into a fire hydrant and mailbox before fleeing.

Despite video evidence and witness statements, special prosecutor Richard Peck dropped all charges against his fellow British Columbia bred lawyer. Critics of his decision pointed to Peck’s propensity to drop charges in high profile cases involving government and police officials.

Apparently (Al Sheppard) – Video and Song!

Update: The video is now out!

Uncle Dropsi and Sunny D have teamed up on a new track about Darcy Allan Sheppard.

In their own words:

This track is about our friend Al, who was run down and killed in a road rage incident on August 31, 2009. He was killed by the former Attorney General of our province (like a state) and the bastard had the charges dropped almost a year later. Many from Toronto’s – and the world’s – cycling community were absolutely incensed that there were no consequences to taking my friend’s life. Anyone who knows, knows. This is our take on it.

The song can be heard and downloaded for free at sunnyd.bandcamp.com

Uncle Dropsi on myspace

Sunny D on myspace

Michael Bryant’s case put over until April 14.

Bryant did not appear. Disclosure is now complete.

Michael Bryant was a no-show in court once again today but the criminal case against him continues to move forward. Bryant’s lawyer, Marie Henein received the police reconstructionist report which is the final major piece of disclosure.

Mark Sandler appeared for the Crown before Justice Paul Bently at the Old City Hall Court. The case was put over until April 14.

Now that disclosure is complete Bryant will elect how he wishes to be tried. He may choose to be tried in the Ontario Court of Justice in front of a judge only, or in the higher court, the Superior Court in front of a judge alone or a judge and jury.

Bryant is the former attorney general for Ontario who worked closely with Crown prosecutors and judges. Independent prosecutor, Richard Peck, from Bryant’s home province of British Columbia will represent the Crown in the criminal trial.

Bryant has been charged with criminal negligence causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death in relation to the death of cyclist Darcy Allan (AL) Sheppard after a traffic altercation on August 31, 2009.

Video evidence shows Bryant deliberately rammed his car into Sheppard from behind before attempting to flee the scene of the attack. Sheppard grabbed on to his car and Bryant fled with Sheppard attached.

Witnesses then say that Bryant sped away at about 90 km/hr on the wrong side of the road. He mounted the curb and intentionally drove into obstacles to knock Sheppard off his car. Sheppard died from the resulting multiple collisions.

The Facts of the Michael Bryant Case so far

Mess Media, December 9, 2009

Former Ontario attorney-general Michael Bryant has been charged with criminal negligence causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death in relation to the death of cyclist Darcy Allan (AL) Sheppard after a traffic altercation on August 31, 2009.

Much has been written about the case as it continues to wind its way through the justice system but here is a summary of the facts of the case so far.

The surveillance video shows Bryant pull to a stop at a red light. Then we see Sheppard pass Bryant and stop in front of Bryant’s car at the red light. We don’t know if any altercation happened before the video begins but neither Bryant not Sheppard exchanged words or seemed enraged or threatened at this time.

The video then shows the light change to green. Sheppard has his back turned to Bryant. Sheppard doesn’t move so Bryant twice moved his car toward Sheppard. The two seem to exchange words and then Bryant deliberately rammed his car into Sheppard, knocking him to the ground.

The key piece of video evidence shows that Michael Bryant was the aggressor. It factually documents his deliberate attack on Sheppard.

Michael Bryant: Toronto’s Carnell Fitzpatrick

The death of Toronto bike messenger Darcy Allan Sheppard is similar to the 1999 murder of Chicago bike messenger Thomas McBride.

Mess Media, November 19, 2009

The case of the road rage killing of Toronto bike messenger, Darcy Allan Sheppard by former attorney general Michael Bryant has many similarities to the murder of another bike messenger, ten years earlier.

Sheppard was killed on August 31, 2009 after Bryant deliberately rammed his car into him knocking Sheppard to the ground. Before mowing Sheppard down, Bryant had threatened him twice by accelerating his car up close to Sheppard and then stopping without hitting him. After the initial attack Bryant attempted to flee the scene on the wrong side of the road with Sheppard holding on to Bryant’s vehicle. Bryant killed Sheppard by smashing him into trees, a mailbox and fire hydrant before driving away.

On the morning of April 26, 1999, Thomas McBride was riding eastbound on West Washington on his way to work as a bike messenger in the Chicago Loop. Witnesses reported a near miss or minor altercation between McBride and the driver of a green 1997 Chevy Tahoe.

The SUV, driven by Carnell Fitzpatrick, cut McBride off after running a stop sign. McBride slammed his hand against the SUV as a means of alerting the driver to his location and that Fitzpatrick was coming perilously close to hitting him. The two exchanged words and Fitzpatrick like Michael Bryant steered his vehicle up close behind the cyclist before accelerating forward to deliberately hit him.

Michael Bryant’s privileged class and road rage

Mess Media, November 11, 2009

On August 31, 2009, former attorney general of Ontario, Michael Bryant, in a fit of road rage intentionally slammed his car into cyclist Darcy Allan Sheppard after Sheppard passed his car and pulled to a stop in front of Bryant at a red light in a construction zone.

After Sheppard grabbed on to Bryant’s car, Bryant sped away on the wrong side of the road, and mounted the curb, deliberately smashing Sheppard into a mailbox, fire hydrant and other fixed obstacles, eventually killing him.

Since the attack, many people in the media that knew Michael Bryant have come to his defence. Most of the defence is connected to Bryant’s $600 per hour public relations firm Navigator Ltd. but some others genuinely find it difficult to believe that someone like Bryant could be capable of such a vicious attack. He is educated, prominent and successful.

“And he is never going to commit another crime in his life. Why would you have to put a guy like that in jail?” says criminal lawyer, Robert Rotenberg echoing what many of Bryant’s friends are thinking.

But what kind of person gets carried away by road rage?

In the span of about thirteen months there have been at least three high profile cases of road rage attacks on cyclists. Two of them resulted in critical injuries and one in death. In all three attacks, the perpetrators were from the privileged class – a doctor, a show jumping son of wealthy parents and a former attorney general for Ontario. All three perpetrators deliberately drove their vehicles into their victims and all three seemed to want to punish their victims or teach them a lesson.