Man gets time served, online device ban for threats to police

ROSSBURN — A Manitoba judge has cited the damaging effect of the internet as he sentenced a Russell man, who had repeatedly made threats against police, to almost a year and a half of time served.

Provincial court Judge Donovan Dvorak denied the Crown’s request to ban Michael Man, 46, from the town during his three years of probation.

“Man found himself radicalized in his beliefs, making violent threats against those he blames for challenges in his life,” Dvorak said while delivering the sentence in Rossburn Wednesday.

“This type of communication maybe seems to have been normalized by the media, but it is unacceptable criminal conduct. In a world where peace officers and other citizens are murdered by radicalized people, words that convey an intention to commit … harms are not legitimate expressions of dissatisfaction.”

After trial, Dvorak had convicted Man of uttering threats; Man later pleaded guilty to three additional counts.

All four counts included behaviour “similar in nature,” in which he threatened to cause death to peace officers, their families and government employees by way of the internet and emails, the judge said.

Russell RCMP received several complaints about Man sending threatening messages, including against police, on Jan. 30, 2025.

One of the messages from Man said, “Typical worthless pig f—-s in costumes came here to harass me for taking pictures … Next time that happens, I’ll wait for supper hour and kick in their door and get the whole family.”

On Sept. 8, 2025, a police officer received a chain of emails between Man and a Brandon Correctional Centre employee, in which Man made comments about his treatment while incarcerated in 2023.

One of the messages said, “I’m going to have no choice but to hunt the provincial and federal employees responsible for my stay.”

Saskatchewan RCMP contacted Russell RCMP on Nov. 6, 2025, and said they had been notified about threats that had been sent to Pattison Media.

In the email, Man said, “F—- the police. Only good cops are dead cops. Nobody seems to want to release the details of the three pig f—-s that violently assaulted me at gunpoint in the dark as vigilante justice.”

He continued by writing, “I know the RCMP member personally, and he’s going to find himself thrown through the wood chipper out on his front lawn.”

In his decision, Dvorak said one could make the argument that the internet has been a “net negative for society” and has radicalized people “passively through algorithms that direct people to increasingly polarized media” and, in some cases, actively by groups and people who profit from it.

Young people are particularly vulnerable, but older people are not immune, he said.

“It seems we can no longer agree on foundational facts. Many people believe that the Earth is flat. They believe that climate change doesn’t exist. They believe the moon landing was fake,” he said.

“Conspiratorial thinking that would have others question their sanity 20 years ago (is) now considered a debate by some. Ad hominem attacks and violent rhetoric against those with whom one disagrees have become normalized online and increasingly in life in general.”

The judge banned Man from owning a device with access to the internet, with the exception of having one cellphone for emergencies and online banking. He is barred from accessing social media.

At a sentencing hearing in May, Crown attorney Ron Toews recommended a sentence of two years, followed by three years of probation in which Man would be prohibited from being in Russell.

The Rural Municipality of Russel Binscarth submitted a letter to the court asking it to ban Man from the RM, which includes Russell.

Defence lawyer Ryan Amy argued for a sentence of time served, which was the equivalent of about 16 months at the time. Amy was opposed to any condition banning Man from Russell. He said the town is his home and he had nowhere else to go.

Dvorak said a probation condition banning someone from their home community is “rarely lawful” and noted that in his 32 years in the criminal justice system, as both a prosecutor and judge, he couldn’t remember a time when he had asked for that order or granted it.

“Although some of the victims live in Russell, the offending was such that it could have occurred regardless of whether Mr. Man was in fact in the community,” he said.

Banishing him from his home community would have a negative impact on Man’s rehabilitation, Dvorak said, and would move the risk to a different community.

Man is barred from having contact or communication with any member of the Russell RCMP, Roblin RCMP or Rossburn RCMP unless required in the course of their duties.

Additionally, he is prohibited from being within 100 metres of the home, workplace, school or place of worship of any member of those RCMP detachments, except that the RCMP may take Man to the Russell RCMP detachment if required as part of their duties.

— Brandon Sun