OK – among my rants a friend of mine mentioned, “I need to know what good will it do.” Fair thought.
In this particular case, I’ll sum up…
The medical examiner classified the death of Robert Ethan Saylor, an adult man with Down syndrome, a homicide. Three off duty police officers wrestled him to the floor where he died, just after calling out for his mother. But the grand jury of Frederick County failed to pursue charges.
The report indicates that Saylor’s death by asphyxiation is certified as a homicide because the man would not have died if it weren’t for the presence of the officers.
In response to a call for an independent investigation, the DOJ representative is quoted as saying, “We’re trying to assess the situation and see how much community tension there is.”
Apparently, the department of Justice only looks for justice for those who cry out for it. Unfortunately, it cannot be only the 1 in 700 families with a child with Down syndrome who respond to this injustice. It has to be more.
Follow any of the links included for more information on this case. Follow this link for my initial reaction.
**NEW** Petition to the Whitehouse sign HERE.
Please sign any one of the petitions calling for justice.
Please go to this page to gather a letter to mail or email. Please help the Saylor Family. Please help my family. I am fearful and heartbroken that this has happened and is condoned. I can only hope that press, “tension,” and consequences are the first step to preventing this from happening again. From happening to Marcus.
PS and one last link to the National Down Syndrome Congress Request as well.
I’m saddened and angered at this. Not just for Robert Saylor, not just for Marcus, not just for those with Down Syndrome. Excessive force used to kill a man is excessive force–and killing a man–in any situation. But those with Down Syndrome, Autism and other Developmental Disabilities can’t always speak for themselves. We need to be their voice and say that wrong is wrong and we won’t tolerate injustice. Thank you for making sure people know of the injustice.
Exactly! Another blogger said it well with : “Think about what this is saying. If anyone is too unruly for the police, and especially if they are mentally disabled, the police reserve the right to kill them.
Saylor lost his life because three armed thugs suffocated him to death. He was murdered. Now I know that refusing to leave the theater is trespassing, and trespassing is a crime, but I didn’t know it was a capital crime.”