By Skye Anderson
The Brandon Sun

ROSSBURN — The Crown is asking the court to sentence a Russell man who’s made repeated threats against police to two years in custody.
“The level of disrespect and contempt that he shows toward members of the community who are attempting to keep the rest of the community safe is certainly eye-opening,” Crown attorney Ron Toews said during Michael Man’s sentencing hearing in Rossburn provincial court on Wednesday.
Man, 46, was convicted of uttering threats after a trial and later pleaded guilty to three additional counts.
“These are not spurious or impulsive utterances or acts. These are comments that are made after careful contemplation,” Toews said.
The man’s lawyer argued that a time-served sentence, which is the equivalent of about 16 months, would be appropriate and still send a strong message to the community that threats will not be tolerated.
Russell RCMP received several complaints about Man sending threatening messages, including toward 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.”
Toews said the use of the word “hunt” is “chilling in its darkest context,” as it invokes a narrative that often involves stalking, premeditation, planning, contemplation and preparation.
Saskatchewan RCMP contacted Russell RCMP on Nov. 6, 2025, and said they had been notified of 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 woodchipper out on his front lawn.”
Toews described this threat as “very specific” and graphic in nature, which he said showed premeditation.
“Man engineers his language to maximize his psychological harm. He uses it to power his targets. He uses it to intimidate and to erode their sense of security within the community,” he said.
Toews said he hasn’t seen the slightest suggestion of remorse from Man, and he has a concerning lack of insight or self-reflection.

Read the full story on pages 1 and 7 in this week's Russell Banner.