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Everton Brown says police beat him. Thanks to a ‘watershed’ ruling, his lawsuit can’t be tossed for missing a deadline

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Everton Brown always intended to sue the Woodstock police officers he alleges beat and repeatedly shocked him during an arrest five years ago, but he took the advice of his criminal lawyer and waited until the charges against him played out in court.

The criminal case ended more than two years later with no convictions and all of the serious charges against him — obstructing and resisting police, and possession of crack cocaine and proceeds of crime — being withdrawn, provided he agree to a peace bond that involved him “keeping the peace” and staying out of Woodstock for a year.

In May 2016, sue, he did, launching a $1.75-million suit alleging he was assaulted, illegally arrested and detained and illegally searched. The 51-year-old London man did so more than two years after the alleged assault by police, placing it beyond the normal two-year limit for making such a claim.

For that reason, police argued his suit should be tossed.

But recent court decisions by the Ontario Court of Appeal — and the Supreme Court of Canada decisions not to revisit them — came down in Brown’s favour, as well as for another man facing a similar scenario, and also involving the Woodstock Police Service.

Essentially, the two-year limitations clock in cases like this now starts ticking when criminal charges are disposed of, rather than at the date of an arrest. The rulings reverse a standard that effectively prevented some victims of alleged police abuses from being able to seek compensation in civil court.

Before these rulings, potential complainants would have to proceed through the notoriously slow criminal court system in order to first see any evidence against them that might inform their decision to sue — while also defending against those charges.

In September, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear appeals by police in Brown’s case and that of Robert Winmill, affirming a 2017 Ontario Court of Appeal decision in Winmill’s case that “it makes sense” for people to focus on criminal charges and “deal with those before making a final decision about a civil action” against police.

The court of appeal in March found Brown’s case to be a “mirror-image” scenario to Winmill’s.

“It’s a watershed case,” says Toronto lawyer Osborne Brownwell, who is representing Brown in the civil case. “In my view, it sort of levels the playing field. The court took the view that it would be unfair for him to have to sue the police while he’s being prosecuted, and that’s why this case, from my perspective, is a significant achievement.”

Barry Swadron, who represented many clients suing police during his legal career, agrees. Civil suits against the police are extremely expensive, he says, and an accused person who endures police misconduct “may well be reluctant to commence a lawsuit against the police while he is in jeopardy of being convicted, and consequently likely to lose that lawsuit. Allowing more time to sue in these instances is a welcome development.”

The lawsuits can take years to play out, often costing plaintiffs tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, win or lose.

Kent Roach, a University of Toronto law professor and legal scholar, says delaying the start of the clock is “probably appropriate because it’s a lot to expect an accused to fight this kind of two-fronted war — civil and criminal — at the same time, and many causes of actions will really depend upon whether the police have been able to make out their charges.”

Brian McCall, the lawyer representing Woodstock police, would not comment on the specifics of the case because it is before the courts, but said in an email to the Star that overturning the standard that the limitation period begins to run at the date of arrest exposes officers to “civil claims which may otherwise not have proceeded.”

None of Brown’s allegations have been proven in court. In a statement of defence, Woodstock police deny Brown’s allegations of assault and illegal arrest and detention. They say police had information Brown was a suspected drug dealer, that the force used to arrest him was necessary, and that police used the Taser to control him while he resisted arrest.

On recent November afternoon, Brown sat in a boardroom at Brownwell’s North York law offices to talk about his precedent-setting case, and the impact it has had on his life.

Brown came to Canada from Jamaica in the late 80s and early 90s as a seasonal migrant farm worker picking tobacco and apples. He found love and Canada become home.

On Feb. 15, 2013, he drove from London to a multi-unit house in Woodstock, where he said a friend’s husband had offered to help him install a car stereo.

According to his statement of claim, Brown was in his car outside the address, when he suffered “shooting pain” followed by an anxiety attack stemming from a car accident two years earlier.

He told the Star he stayed inside the car in order to deal with the attack, using breathing techniques he learned from a psychologist.

That’s when, according to his suit, he was “accosted by a number of individuals, whom he believed were thugs trying to rob him” — men he later discovered were four plainclothes police officers. One officer, he alleges, drew his gun and pointed it at him.

Brown alleges in the statement of claim that he was struck repeatedly by fists and “forcibly dragged” out of the car, causing injuries to his head, face and throat, “thrown on the snowy ground,” and, while face down, “tasered at least four times.”

“If it wasn’t for God himself, I wouldn’t be living today,” Brown told the Star. “It felt like my heart was going to cut off. I couldn’t breathe.”

Brown alleges in his suit that, in addition to the other injuries, his jaw was locked and he asked to be taken to hospital but that didn’t immediately happen. Instead, he was handcuffed, booked at the station and held overnight before being taken to hospital the next day. He also alleges police deliberately broke a walking stick he needed to get around.

Police, in their statement of defence, do not make any references to a request to go to the hospital, and say “no more force than was reasonably necessary” to make the arrest. They allege Brown refused to get out of the car and “put something in his mouth.” After officers pulled him from the vehicle, police allege Brown “spit the object in his mouth into the snowbank,” which was later determined to be crack cocaine wrapped in plastic.

Police also allege the address Brown was visiting was a “location where drug dealing occurred” and that Brown was “associated with known drug dealers” and that “his negligence” caused any damages he sustained.

Brown says in his suit that he “was not at all involved” in drug dealing. He told the Star “there was no spit out. There was no drugs.”

Brown’s suit states that he learned at his trial that police had been watching the address and had a “suspicion” that Brown was selling drugs to a “certain person.” He also points out in his suit that the house is divided into four apartments. He was there to visit tenants who lived upstairs, and the “person being targeted by the police apparently lived” downstairs, he states in his suit.

Police had been wiretapping their target, Brown states in his suit, and there was “no evidence whatsoever that he had been involved in criminal activity.”

After five days of evidence at his trial, including Charter applications, the Crown, according to court records, approached Brown’s lawyer with an “offer” to end the criminal case against him with the peace bond and withdrawal of charges.

In his suit, Brown alleges the peace bond was “thrust upon him.”

Brown told the Star he would like to see the officers involved disciplined.

He said he now has problems remembering things and needs help to keep his house and yard in order. When he sees police driving behind him, “I feel intimidated. It brings me back there. To that day, when they pulled me out of the car.”

It looks as if you appreciate our journalism. Our reporting changes lives, connects communities and effects change. But good journalism is expensive to produce, and advertiser revenue throughout the media industry is falling and unable to carry the cost. That means we need you, our readers. We need your help. If you appreciate deep local reporting, powerful investigations and reliable, responsible information, we hope you will support us through a subscription. Please click here to subscribe.

Jim Rankin is a reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @Jleerankin

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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