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Stephen Harrison

@stephenharrison.bsky.social
501 followers 177 following 1.1K posts

Victoria, B.C. needsmorespikes.com

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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 1h
This officer is also in trouble for seizing and losing the victim's phone, and not filing use of force reports when they arrested them a second time, evidence that VicPD is underreporting its use of force. More information about VicPD's use of force is here. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/use-of-...
needsmorespikes.com
VicPD and province try to stop release of police “use of force” data — Needs More Spikes
VicPD asked the government not to release data showing how its officers used force between 2022 and 2024. The government agreed, but they were overruled by the privacy commissioner. The data shows Vic...
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 1h
VicPD has suspended lots of officers with pay over the past two years. The details mostly aren't public. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/vicpd-s...
needsmorespikes.com
VicPD pays six years in salary to suspended officers — Needs More Spikes
Between 2024 and 2025, VicPD suspended six officers with pay for a total of 13,040 hours. That works out to more than a year for each of those six officers. Payments to those suspended officers may ha...
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 1h
VicPD officer suspended with pay for two years so far for lying about punching someone "about eight times." Their lies only came to light because someone was filming. And the officer only stopped the beating after the person filming yelled at them to stop. www.timescolonist.com/local-news/v... #yyj
timescolonist.com
VicPD officer gets review of discipline for lying about using excessive force
The Office of the Police Complaint Comissioner will consider whether Victoria Const. Denis Belkin should face dismissal after lying to an investigator, as VicPD had concluded.
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Reposted by Stephen Harrison
Anna Mehler Paperny @mehlerpaperny.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Officially, Canada has no solitary confinement. But we found it uses confinement that mirrors solitary as defined under international rules on the most vulnerable prisoners - and it's using it more. ijb.utoronto.ca/news/hidden-...
ijb.utoronto.ca
Hidden solitary: Canada's growing use of prison isolation - Investigative Journalism Bureau
New data obtained by the IJB shows a dramatic rise in the use of observation and dry cells—a form of hidden solitary confinement in Canadian prisons that disproportionately impacts Indigenous inmates.
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Reposted by Stephen Harrison
dustin @godfrey.work · 22/09/2026
a political party with seemingly no vision and values they've increasingly shed with a governance style that can only be described as reactionary acquiescence, calling an election at a time when their opposition is at its lowest so they can govern for four more years, to do... what, exactly?
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Reposted by Stephen Harrison
Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 21/09/2026
The way the app works is this: -Supporters sign up and download the app -Soon, they begin receiving notifications, known in the app as "Digital Fighters Tasks" -The app auto-generates text for the supporter to post, and offers a reward in exchange for copying it on to social media
nationalobserver.com
Toronto mayoral candidate Bradford using Israeli app that feeds supporters AI-generated comments
The Victory App, a campaign tool built by the Israeli company LogiVote, prompted users to participate in a mission to post AI-written comments supportive of Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The police would never.
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Reposted by Stephen Harrison
Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Went back further. An officer looked up their tenant. Another looked up a contractor. One officer "had a habit of running names of friends and relatives." Another looked up their ex 20 times. All told that's about 50 officers with substantiated complaints of misusing police databases. But why audit?
B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints
2016: Vancouver PD officer “searched police databases for a purpose unrelated to duties as a police officer” and “improperly disclosed confidential information acquired from police databases to a member of the public”

2016: Transit Police officer “used the PRIME database system, without permission, to gather statistics for their master’s degree course”

2015: Transit Police officer “queried their tenant using police databases”

2015: New Westminster PD officer “used police databases to query one of [their] contractors and the licence plate of a vehicle being used by the contractors” and “disclosed [to a member of the property management company] that a vehicle being driven by one of the contractors was uninsured and that one of the contractors had a criminal record” 

2015: Delta PD, three officers “conducted improper police database queries in relation to an off duty police officer’s call for assistance” and “improperly disclosed the information obtained”

2015: Abbotsford PD officer “accessed police databases for purposes unrelated to his/her duties as a police officer.”

2014: Delta PD officer “queried police databases by means of a mobile data terminal for a purpose unrelated to the performance of the officer’s duties”

2014: Delta PD officer “accessed the PRIME database for personal reasons”
B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints
2013: Vancouver PD officer “accessed police databases for a purpose unrelated to his duties as a police officer”

2013: New Westminster PD officer “conducted unauthorized searches utilizing police databases for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer” and “shared the information with a person not entitled to receive or access this information”

2012: Vancouver PD officer “conducted unauthorized searches utilizing police databases for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer”

2012: Saanich PD officer “queried police databases for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer and disclosed that information”

2012-14: Abbotsford PD officer “searched police databases for a purpose unrelated to his duties and accessed reports he was not authorized to access”
2011: Vancouver PD officer “had a habit of running names of friends and relatives,” “accessed police databases on three occasions for purposes unrelated to the duties of a police officer” and “disclosed information that the officer acquired from police databases to a member of the public” 

2011: Saanich PD officer “made unauthorized queries on police databases”
B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints
2011: Saanich PD officer “accessed police databases to query associates of his estranged wife for purposes unrelated to the performance of his duties as a police officer” and “disclosed to his estranged wife confidential information he had obtained from the queries”

2011: Delta PD officer “conducted queries on the PRIME database for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer”

2010: VPD officer “accessed police databases to conduct personal queries unrelated to his duties as a police officer”

2010: Transit Police officer “conducted an unauthorized search on police databases for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer”

2010: Delta PD officer “On several occasions … conducted unauthorized queries on PRIME” and “counseled another member to also conduct an unauthorized search on the police database”

2010: Delta PD officer “conducted an unauthorized query on a police database”

2010: An officer “accessed police databases to query the complainant’s common-law wife’s name” and “accessed police databases to query the complainant’s name”
B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints
2009: VPD officer found to have conducted “Unauthorized search of police database”

2009: VPD officer found to have conducted “Unauthorized search of police database”

2009: Saanich PD officer “On 12 separate occasions … conducted unauthorized searches in a police database”

2009: Abbotsford PD officer “conducted an unauthorized search of an individual on police databases and disclosed this information to a third party”

2008: VicPD officer “for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer, conducted queries on police databases”

2008: New Westminster PD officer conducted an “Unauthorized Search of Police Databases (Info not disclosed)”

2008: New Westminster PD officer conducted an “Unauthorized Search of Police Databases (Info not disclosed)”

2007: An officer conducted “20 unauthorized police database queries over a 4 year period … related to the officer’s ex‐spouse”

1995-2008: An officer “queried an employee from his private business on the police database PRIME” and “made numerous queries using CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre) and PRIME for non‐work related purposes”
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
New stories of police database misuse drop every day. At least 50 B.C. officers have been found to have committed misconduct for misusing databases. How many more aren't caught? Or face no consequences? The privacy commissioner said a VicPD officer improperly looked me up, but he's not on this list.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Incredible. My main memory is how rude she was to the Human Rights Commissioner. She criticized her for giving a "prepared" presentation (she had been invited to present!); scoffed at something; and made remarks that made it clear she hadn't been listening. Bad energy even by police board standards.
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Reposted by Stephen Harrison
karen ward @kwardvancouver.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
"didn't Ed Sheeran do that cool thing years ago?" i thought but then remembered No that was Gren Ballsachtler of Winkler, Manitoba who pretended to be Ed Sheeran from 2023.
Facebook post from Winnipeg Police 

**FUGITIVE ALERT**

Winnipeg Police are asking for public assistance in locating 23 year old Gren Ballsachtler of Winkler, Manitoba. Police confirm he is currently residing somewhere in the north end of the city.

Gren has convinced 3 churches that he is Ed Sheeran and even went as far as performing "The Shape of You" in front of Calvary Temple on Sunday.

When detectives asked the pastor why he believe the real Ed Sheeran would perform for $25 and a sandwich, he said that he assumed the celebrity had fallen on tough times.

If you have any information about Gren's
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Oh no! She's terrible, at least from what I've seen of her on the board.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Thanks!
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Announcement that VicPD is going to even more aggressively seize people's drugs in the name of "safety" shows the complete disconnect from reality of what keeps people safe. And I'm sure we'll continue to see more "drugs on the table" press releases for big seizures, which we know will kill people.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Armour: Is VicPD coordinating with CRD, which has control of major trails? Wilson: Yes. Meeting adjourns.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Wilson: Says they've shared legal requirements related to e-bike and e-scooter use. Says they're "committed" to education and enforcement.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Cull: Asks who has responsibility for regulating e-scooters and improving traffic safety. Asks who will "police the rules of the road." [focusing on enforcement aspect of letter even though it also called for infrastructure improvements]
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
[These meetings are always some degree of sad and infuriating, but sometimes they're especially sad and infuriating]
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Deputy chief: "more resources" to "addressing open air drug markets." [thought it was worth quoting her language] Says they're not going to arrest people but will instead seize their drugs. [Awful stuff. Drug seizures lead to increased overdose. Just announcing hateful and harmful policies]
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
On to deputy chief update. Says they're rolling out "Crime Reduction Unit" for October 1st. Says it supports city's Safety and Wellbeing Plan [great job, city]. Calls it "proactive" policing. Says they're going to target drug use and more. [Cool stuff, brought to you by people who undermined decrim]
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Wilson says she judged ribs at Ribfest.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Wilson says she co-chaired "Drug Advisory Committee" at Chiefs of Police Conference in Edmonton. Presented on "track and trace" project. bsky.app/profile/step...
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Wilson talks about transition to taking back responsibility for homicide investigations from major crime unit, for October 1st. Says they're working to ensure it won't have any "negative impact" on the files.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Wilson says they hired back retired officer Steve Cowan.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Says MLA Lore joined VicPD on Sept 2nd for community visit "along with members in community to see how the conditions on the ground help keep … us informed about some of the challenges" related to homelessness and poverty. [Okay Wilson called it "street disorder." Fund housing, free top tip!]
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Says training police on Vancouver Island "is about equity" and that they're hiring people that wouldn't have gone to New Westminster for training.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Wilson: Also pumps up south island training academy. Refers to a "staffing crisis" at VicPD. Says they're "grateful" to Victoria and Esquimalt councils for 2026 budget increase [over $90 million now!].
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Cull says families of new recruits "are so pumped about what their sons and daughters are doing." On to update from Wilson.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Sukhdeo talks about going to police governance conference in Edmonton. Over-the-shoulder shot reveals meeting snack offerings. Cull says she and Faoro went to new recruit swearing in.
Tarts or quiches on a table next to some fruit with tongs.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Cull with finance committee update. Says they're "almost there" on draft 2027 budget [will it be over $100 million, good luck board, you can do it]. "Very excited about a number of new civilian positions we've been able to put into the budget [oh goody]
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Canadian Association of Police Governance update. Hayes attended conference in Edmonton. Attended with another board member and deputy chief.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
lol apparently Saanich PD is hosting an upcoming police boards conference… at Tigh-Na-Mara in Parksville. I don't have my maps in front of me but that doesn't seem like it's in Saanich. tigh-na-mara.com
tigh-na-mara.com
Home
Official Website: Lowest Price Guaranteed! Tigh-Na-Mara is a 22 acre resort with forested ocean views on Vancouver Island. Come to Parksville for your next family vacation, spa escape, corporate retre...
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Hayes notes Chief Wilson has been with VicPD for a year. Now talking about South Island Police Academy. www.timescolonist.com/local-news/s...
timescolonist.com
South Island Police Academy welcomes first class of recruits
The 16 Victoria police recruits and one Oak Bay recruit are starting their training in a classroom at Victoria police headquarters.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Hayes starting with an update. Welcomes Ken Armour as new community appointment from Esquimalt. "CEO of Trades Training BC and … a Senior Advisor with BC Colleges."
Term Start Date: August 24 2026
Term End Date: August 24 2027
Maximum Term Date: August 24 2032
Appointee Contact Information:
Name: Ken Armour
Township of Esquimalt Community Appointee Biography:
Ken Armour has extensive experience in public policy, government and community affairs. He
has held senior management positions with the provincial and federal governments, including
roles in social policy, economic development, Indigenous relations, and research and
innovation. Ken currently serves as CEO of Trades Training BC and as a Senior Advisor with BC
Colleges, working with government, post-secondary institutions, employers and community
partners on skills training and workforce development. He holds a Master of Public
Administration, a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta.
He has also served in a number of community and governance roles in Esquimalt.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Board meeting opens by welcoming anyone watching. Fluctuating between 2 and 4!
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Meeting is streaming here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNg2...
youtube.com
Victoria & Esquimalt Police Board Live Stream
YouTube video by Victoria & Esquimalt Police Board
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Will pick up posting when the meeting starts. One other note, they're still making people show up 30+ minutes before the meeting starts if you want to attend in person. The most accessible public meeting!
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Finally, after nearly a year of FOIs and appeals, I obtained VicPD’s use of force data from 2022 to 2024. None of it’s good. There are about 100 data points for each use of force report, so you could slap a pivot table on this and do lots of your own analysis. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/use-of-...
needsmorespikes.com
VicPD and province try to stop release of police “use of force” data — Needs More Spikes
VicPD asked the government not to release data showing how its officers used force between 2022 and 2024. The government agreed, but they were overruled by the privacy commissioner. The data shows Vic...
110
Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Second, after learning that police don’t make their school liaison officer presentations available, I FOI’d all those presentations and posted them here, from VicPD, Oak Bay PD, and Saanich PD. Some of the presentations include incorrect information. Cool. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/slo-rec...
needsmorespikes.com
Download SD61 school liaison officer presentations — Needs More Spikes
School liaison officers give a lot of presentations to students, but they don’t make them available. You can download them here.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Given the light agenda, here are some recent FOI stories. Between 2024 and 2025, Victoria and Esquimalt funded 6.2 years in paid suspensions for officers accused of offences or misconduct. The police board can make suspensions without pay, but they didn’t. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/vicpd-s...
needsmorespikes.com
VicPD pays six years in salary to suspended officers — Needs More Spikes
Between 2024 and 2025, VicPD suspended six officers with pay for a total of 13,040 hours. That works out to more than a year for each of those six officers. Payments to those suspended officers may ha...
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
There’s also a letter from someone calling for signage, public education, enforcement, traffic calming, and other safety measures related to e-scooters. Agenda seems light, likely in part because financial updates aren’t part of each agenda anymore, despite the budget allegedly being their main job.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
There’s a letter from Esquimalt council noting their new appointee to the board is former councillor Ken Armour. As a councillor, Armour made “Esquimalt pays too much vs. Victoria”-type comments. Former Esquimalt appointee Courtright wasn’t happy about not being renewed. bsky.app/profile/step...
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Three notes: 1) The police board once again failed to meet the legal requirement to post its agenda a week in advance. 2) The board has stopped posting its in camera agendas. You couldn’t usually glean much, but it was something. 3) When VicPD updated its website, it erased all agendas before 2025.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
There’s a #yyj police board meeting at 5:00 pm. Will follow along on this thread. Agenda: www.vicpd.ca/260915%20VEP... Stream: www.youtube.com/@victoriaesq... #vicpboard
VICTORIA & ESQUIMALT POLICE BOARD
Public Meeting Agenda
September 15, 2026 at 5:00pm
Boardroom 316
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
a. Territorial Acknowledgement
2. PRESENTATIONS
a.
3. STANDING ITEMS
a. Declarations of Conflict of Interest
Pg. 1 b. Adoption of the Public Agenda of September 15, 2026
Pg. 2 c. Approval of the Public Minutes of July 21, 2026
d. Board Chair Update
** Welcome New Member
i. Information - Election of Chair and Vice Chair
Pg. 4 • Terms of Reference
ii. CAPG report
e. Committee Updates
f. Chief Constable Update
g. Deputy Chief Constables Updates
3. BUSINESS ARISING (when applicable)
a.
4. NEW BUSINESS (when applicable)
Pg. 8 a. Appointment Letter & Bio – K. Armour, Esquimalt Community Member
5. RISE & REPORT (when applicable)
a.
6. CORRESPONDENCE
Pg.10 a. 2026 CACP Recognition Award
Pg.11 b. Letter of Concern – E-scooters
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
They've definitely left it vague!
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Perhaps people linked from this person! www.facebook.com/share/r/19a9...
facebook.com
Facebook
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
VicPD officers filed 275 reports in 2024 where they say they threatened to shoot someone. Police continue to insist on their involvement in mental health response, and city council and the provincial government continue to support it, putting people at risk. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/use-of-...
needsmorespikes.com
VicPD and province try to stop release of police “use of force” data — Needs More Spikes
VicPD asked the government not to release data showing how its officers used force between 2022 and 2024. The government agreed, but they were overruled by the privacy commissioner. The data shows Vic...
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I don't think the man's name has ever been published.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Five years ago today, VicPD shot and killed a man in crisis. The IIO said there were grounds to believe the officer committed an offence. Earlier this year, the Prosecution Service said they wouldn’t approve charges, while also finding VicPD shot and killed the man without warning from 45 feet away.
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Seems like bad news. It's that same guy who got all that press alleging his speech was being shut down for 'writing to the premier,' when his letter 'to the premier' was instead published in media outlets, identifying himself by his job, and the contents were him just shitting on a SOLID facility.
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