Penalty Hearing Begins Tomorrow for Officer in Charge of Racist-Led Investigation into the death of Stacy DeBungee
-
Posted by Shelby Percival
- Posted in BlogsNews
Proceedings are live-streamed here via YouTube beginning at 9:30 am tomorrow, Tuesday November 29, 2022.
The penalty hearing for Staff Sergeant Shawn Harrison of the Thunder Bay Police Service (“TBPS”) is scheduled to begin tomorrow, and continue on Wednesday November 30, 2022. On July 19, 2022, Staff Sergeant Harrison was found guilty of discreditable conduct and neglect of duty with respect to the racist-led investigation that he led into the death of Indigenous man Stacy DeBungee. Harrison “failed to treat the investigation equally, without discrimination due to Stacy DeBungee’s Indigenous status”, stated Hearing Officer Greg Walton in his decision.
Stacy DeBungee died in October of 2015, when his body was recovered from the McIntyre River. As part of the shoddy investigation, the TBPS first declared his death to be ‘not suspicious’ within the first three hours, and then as ‘non-criminal’ the following day.
The Police Services Act hearing, through which Harrison was ultimately found guilty of the charges noted above, was the culmination of an investigation made into complaints of misconduct made by Stacy’s brother, Brad DeBungee, and by then Chief of Rainy River First Nations, Jim Leonard. The hearing, and the decision by Hearing Officer Walton was a significant next step in Brad’s quest for transparency and accountability related to his brother’s death.
Falconers LLP has the honour of representing Brad DeBungee as he continues to fight for justice for his brother Stacy.
Related Documents:
Decision of Hearing Officer Greg Walton – July 19, 2022
Media Coverage
Logan Turner, CBC News (Dec. 1, 2022) – “Stacey DeBungee’s family to wait months to learn Thunder Bay officer’s fate for flawed death investigation”
Doug Diaczuk, TB NewsWatch (Nov. 30, 2022) – “DeBungee family calls for Harrison’s termination from police service”
Logan Turner, CBC News. (Nov. 29, 2022) – “Stacy DeBungee’s family wants Thunder Bay, Ont., police officer fired as disciplinary hearing begins”
Previous Postings:
https://falconers.ca/guilty-verdict-of-racist-police-investigation-against-thunder-bay-staff-sergeant-a-first/ – July 19, 2022
https://falconers.ca/debungee-psa-harrison-whipple-closing-submissions/ – June 15, 2022
https://falconers.ca/private-investigator-horrified-by-meeting-with-thunder-bay-police-service-debungee-psa-hearing/ – June 6, 2022
https://falconers.ca/psa-hearing-continues-for-officers-involved-in-debungee-death-investigation/ – June 2, 2022
https://falconers.ca/police-services-act-hearing-set-to-begin-for-thunder-bay-officers-for-stacy-debungees-death-investigation/ – May 27, 2022
