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Former
Ontario attorney-general charged in road rage death of bike messenger
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More Coverage at BRYANT WATCH
Mess Media, September 2, 2009
Former Ontario attorney-general Michael Bryant was charged Tuesday with
criminal negligence causing death and dangerous operation of a motor
vehicle causing death in relation to the violent road rage death of
bike messenger Darcy Allan (AL) Sheppard after a traffic altercation on
August 31.
It was a senseless and tragic event that in a few short moments altered
the lives of many, leaving one young man dead.
Michael Bryant was a high-profile, Harvard educated politician with
many victories in his once promising career. He followed his father’s
footsteps in to politics, with greater ambition to rise higher.
He was at one time, Ontario’s youngest attorney-general, a rising star,
often mentioned as a future premier of Ontario.
However he was also often described as brash and in-your-face, a
self-promoter with high ambitions, “someone who would have caused some
gnashing of teeth in the premier's office because we would say things
that would be controversial." He wasn’t someone who gave careful
thought to his words or actions.
The Globe and Mail reports that many Bryant aides and volunteers “were
turned off by a perceived shallowness and a sense he would tell people
whatever they wanted to hear. His loyalty sometimes extended only so
long as supporters were useful to him.”
Bryant often clashed with the Premiers’ office. He sought the limelight
with press conferences and headline grabbing behaviour. After
Premier Dalton McGuinty was re-elected in 2007, Bryant was demoted to
become minister of aboriginal affairs. His rising star was falling. He
quit the government and politics in May of this year, in what was
observed to be a public falling out with the Liberals and McGuinty.
He landed at the modest, Invest Toronto, an agency owned and operated
by the City of Toronto with a mandate to attract investment to the
city. The Toronto Star reports that “in July he seemed a bit of a
nomad, wandering the city seeking business contacts, knocking on doors,
without the car-and-driver supports of a cabinet minister.”
Out of the spotlight, with his political career on hold Bryant did what
many middle-aged men in mid-life do. He bought himself a convertible
sports car. He had lost prestige, power and even his ambitions suffered
a critical blow. He bragged about the freedom outside of
government. "When
you get out there's this liberation. You don't realize what it's going
to feel like until you get out. You can say, `you guys have no idea
what you're talking about.'" You can "give the bird to a neighbour
who's cut you off, because you might want to put a sign in their lawn."
On August 31, around 9:45 pm Bryant was driving his sports car along
Bloor Street. Finding himself behind a cyclist, Bryant reportedly grew
impatient. Witnesses report an angry Bryant honked his horn and shouted
at Sheppard to get moving. Unsatisfied with Sheppard’s response,
Bryant edged forward intentionally hitting Sheppard’s bike, perhaps to
teach him a lesson or show him who is in control.
Sheppard then allegedly dismounted his bike and walked over to confront
the shouting Bryant.
As the confrontation escalated, Sheppard grabbed hold of the door or
mirror of Bryant’s car and Bryant sped off, tires squealing, with
Sheppard holding on for his life as Bryant dragged him through the
street.
Construction workers reported Bryant veering his car into oncoming
traffic and mounting the sidewalk several times in an attempt to throw
Sheppard off the car at high speeds.
One of the workers said Bryant was “yelling pretty loud and he sounded
very, very angry.” The other worker said, “He meant to knock him off.”
Another witness said, "The driver was going so fast that at one point
the biker was holding on to his car and there were sparks coming from
the bottom of his shoes."
Bryant reportedly smashed into trees and a mailbox in a final attempt
to get rid of Sheppard.
"It seemed like the driver was trying to shake him off because he
turned really suddenly, put on the brakes, jetted it one last time and
then all your hear is three thumps and then the guy falls on the floor."
After Sheppard fell to the ground, witnesses report that Bryant ran
over him with the back wheels of his sports car. Sheppard lay bleeding
from the head and mouth as Bryant raced away to a local luxury hotel.
Sheppard died shortly after arriving at the St. Michael’s Hospital.
Within hours Bryant had not only hired a lawyer but also a public
relations firm, Navigator Ltd. to help him craft his condolence message
and help to create and control the spin.
Many people are left wondering how a promising, former attorney
general, could exhibit such out of control rage that resulted in the
death of a man he never met before. But this kind of road rage is all
too common. Last year, Sergeant Cam Woolley, of the Ontario Provincial
Police remarked “What’s interesting is road ragers tend to have
above-average income and above-average education … they’re often
middle-class people with responsible jobs.”
No matter what the explanation the result is unchanged, a young father
of four is dead.
Watch
Eyewitness
accounts of killing
Watch
Security Camera Video
Former Ontario
attorney-general charged in road rage death of bike messenger -
Mess Media, September 2, 2009
What started it all - Mess
Media, September 3, 2009
Globe and Mail Reveals Bryant's PR
Firm As Source for Stories - Mess Media, September 4, 2009
There is an
online
form to send a message to the Attorney
General of Ontario at this
address
The Toronto Bike
Messenger Association (TOBMA) will be holding a fundraiser,
September
19th to help cover burial costs. More information can be found on
facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=125621767851
The Toronto
Bike Messenger Association (TOBMA) has opened an account at TD
Canada Trust for donation to help pay for Darcy Allan Sheppard's burial
arrangements and for his children. If you should wish to donate you can
go into any TD branch and donate into account number 06906676860 for
Darcy Allan Sheppard. Or you can go to tobma.com and donate via pay pal"
Cyclist's
troubled life recalled - Toronto Star, September 08, 2009
In
Toronto, Bike-Car Road Rage Escalates - NPR, September 7, 2009
Spinning
the first week of Michael Bryant's new life - Toronto Star,
September 5, 2009
How
do you prosecute your former boss? – MacLeans, September 4, 2009
Cyclists
entitled to whole lane, bicycle cop says - Toronto
Sun - September 4,
2009
Making
sense of the Bryant - Sheppard tragedy - Examiner.com,
September 4, 2009
B.C.'s
Peck picked to prosecute Bryant - Toronto Sun, September 4, 2009
Cyclist
to be buried in Alberta - National Post,
September 4, 2009
Bryant
ordered not to drive, surrender passport - CBC, September
4,
2009
Statistics
help explain cyclists’ anger - Metro News,
September 1, 2009
Cyclists
ride in support of dead bike courier - Toronto Sun - September 3,
2009
Car vs. cycle:
Road war shifts to higher gear - Toronto Star -
September 3, 2009
John
Moore: In their conflict with cyclists, motorists have to give -
National Post, September 03, 2009
The
road to `reputation recovery' - Toronto Star -
September 3, 2009
Brain's
'rage system' cuts rational response - Globe and
Mail, September 3, 2009
Bryant's custody
stay rapped - Toronto Star - September 3, 2009
Angry
cyclists stage protest - Toronto Star - September
2, 2009
Canadian
Politician Charged in Death - New York Times, September 2, 2009
Michael
Bryant's
deadly duel - Toronto Star - September 2, 2009
The
world was
Michael Bryant's until one fateful instant - Toronto Star,
September 2, 2009
Charges
could snuff out promising future for Bryant - Winnipeg Sun, September
2, 2009
Couriers
share
their `mutual hardship' – Toronto Star, September 2, 2009
Bike
courier
'troubled spirit' who battled his addictions - Toronto Star -
September 1, 2009
Tension
grows side by side - National Post, September 2, 2009
In
a city of drivers and cyclists at odds, the one on the bike is always
right - Globe and Mail, September 2, 2009
It's
us against them - Toronto Sun, September 2, 2009
Cyclist
may have grabbed Bryant, wheel: police - CBC, September
2, 2009
An
overachiever's supreme self-confidence shattered - Globe and Mail ,
September 2, 2009
Bike
messengers pay tribute to fallen comrade - Globe
and Mail , September 2, 2009
Death
on Bloor: Bryany Enters a World beyond Political Spin - Globe
and Mail , September 2, 2009
Bryant
resigns Invest Toronto - Toronto Star, September 2,
2009
Bikes
versus cars, Searching for a detente - Globe and Mail,
September 2, 2009
Bike
couriers 'in a daze' after Bryant charged in cyclist's death - Metro
News, September 1, 2009
Former
Ontario AG Bryant charged after bike courier dragged by car and killed -
Metro News, September 1, 2009
Former
Ontario attorney general Bryant faces two charges after fatal crash
- National Post, September 1, 2009
Details
of the charges - Toronto Star, September 1,
2009
Michael
Bryant: Tenacity and a flair for publicity - Toronto
Star, August 2,
2009
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