MD - Robert Saylor, 26, w/ Down syndrome, dies in LE custody, Frederick, 12 Jan 2013

MsFacetious

What a Kerfuffle...
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Ethan had a passion for learning all he could about the police and security agencies and amassed volumes of research on them.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/fredericknewspost/obituary.aspx?pid=162418933#fbLoggedOut



ethan2.jpg




The family’s lawyer said Tuesday that the aide had gone to get the car, something she was allowed to do, when events unfolded.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...6b1088-7acb-11e2-9c27-fdd594ea6286_story.html


February 19, 2013

Cpl. Jennifer Bailey, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said Saylor cursed at the deputies, who weren’t wearing uniforms, and began hitting and kicking them.

_______________________

“Ethan was developmentally disabled, not a criminal,” said Joseph Espo, a lawyer who spoke on behalf of Saylor’s parents, Patti and Ron Saylor. “He was entranced by police and police departments and liked communicating with them to the extent that, if there was ever a complaint, it was that he’d call so they could come to the house so he could talk to them.”

Saylor’s mother took cookies to the sheriff’s office at the end of last year to thank the deputies for all the unnecessary trips they made to the house,
Espo said.

_________________________

Overs said Saylor didn’t understand that he could call a non-emergency number for the police and dialed 911 so often that he was known to members of the law enforcement community.

On the day of Saylor’s funeral, two law enforcement officers sent a text that was read aloud; it said they, too, would miss him.

“What a fitting memorial it would be if a training module was created in his name,” Overs said, “so no other family or police force would have to suffer this pain.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...e09fe0-7ad5-11e2-82e8-61a46c2cde3d_story.html



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February 19, 2013

The three deputies involved in the death of a 26-year-old mentally disabled man in Frederick County have been placed on administrative leave.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/0...administrative-leave-85414.html#ixzz2LTFHn72r


February 20, 2013

Frederick County’s top prosecutor is promising a thorough investigation into the death in police custody of a man with Down syndrome.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...1dde14-7b89-11e2-9c27-fdd594ea6286_story.html



February 15, 2013

The Baltimore County Medical Examiner’s office ruled that a 26-year-old intellectually disabled man died by homicide while in custody in Frederick.

The medical examiner ruled that Robert Saylor, of New Market, was asphyxiated and the manner of death is a homicide.
He died on Jan. 12.

-----------------

According to a law enforcement source familiar with the case, the 26-year-old went into distress when he was put face down on the ground.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/02/robert-saylor-death-ruled-a-homicide-85287.html#ixzz2LTASJK1w



January 17, 2013

Patti is fighting to understand how a brush with the law ended in her son's death.

"He just loved unconditionally every body," Saylor said.

Patti said her son had no pre-existing medical conditions, and she can't understand how he died after being taken into police custody.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/0...derick-movie-theater-84206.html#ixzz2LTA99Bks



ethanm.jpg
 
I have a 10 year old daughter with Down syndrome. As I speak she is playing with her collection of 9 police officer cars.
A cop who was visiting a neighbor ended up getting an unsolicited hug. She ADORES cops. :tears:

However, she also knows that if some strange person tried to move her she is allowed to fight back.
She may do the same thing in this situation...because she wouldn't know they were even cops. :what:

Strange people this young man did not know were trying to remove him from where his aide told him to stay.
We TEACH our kids to fight back in that situation! This story absolutely rips my heart out. :please:

http://www.facebook.com/LoveAndMemoriesOfRobertEthanSaylor

http://www.facebook.com/ethansaylor109?fref=ts

Memorial Video made by Ethan's sister Emma.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umcsYh8OZ4g"]Love You More. - YouTube[/ame]
 
aw man, this is terrible. I don't even know what to say. Tears for his mother. I can't imagine her heartbreak.
 
Oh my gosh! How terribly sad. My deepest condolences and prayers for Ethan's family. They must be just devastated!
 
"died by homicide"

"placed on administrative leave"

^ These two statements together make me angry.
 
Me too... especially when you add in...

"Off-duty"
"weren’t wearing uniforms"
"all of them employees of the Sheriff’s Office"
"the Sheriff’s Department has been conducting the investigation into a matter involving its own deputies"

And this is just another blow.

"Saylor’s mother took cookies to the sheriff’s office at the end of last year to thank the deputies..." :tears:

This is the second time this has happened since December.
The young man in California in December was lucky enough to survive.

But Down syndrome is not a "hidden" disability.
It's pretty freaking obvious they have it! How do the cops not know? :please:

At least in Antonio's case the LE admitted they were WRONG.
Maybe the ones in this case will do the same. :twocents:


http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/20/justice/california-down-syndrome-custody

http://www.10news.com/news/man-with...aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=246965925417366
 
This makes me angry. Yes, down syndrome is very obvious. And people who are suffering this are the most loving and loveable people in the world. I had a neighbor who had two little girls with down syndrome. We used to play together when I was a kid. The girls were like little angels. Of all the kids in my past, I still remember them fondly.
 
I really really hate that the off duty deputies, that were hired as private theater security guards Murdered this man. My heart goes out to his family.
 
Frederick inquiry into disabled man's death is complete ( link )

As the case of a disabled man who died in the custody of off-duty sheriff's deputies comes one step closer to resolution, an attorney for his family says a different approach should have prevailed.

Frederick County Sheriff's Office investigators have completed their inquiry into the death of 26-year-old Robert Ethan Saylor, of New Market.

[...]

Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith said his office received the sheriff's report Wednesday morning. Smith and three assistant state's attorneys, David Callahan, Nanci Hamm and Kirsten Brown, who heads the Violent Crimes Division, will each review the report independently before meeting with investigators and determining if more information or expert testimony is needed, he said. They will then decide whether to go forward with charges, issue a letter of declination or take the case before a grand jury.

In the interest of full disclosure, Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said, he wants to see the case go before a grand jury. But if Smith makes the decision, it will not be for that reason, Smith said, adding that grand jury proceedings are secret and would not lend themselves to transparency.

"If we have reason to believe that a final determination needs to be made by someone else besides us, that's the reason we would take it to a grand jury," Smith said.
 
Death of mentally disabled Frederick County man sparks outrage ( link )

The unexplained death last month of Saylor, 26, who had Down syndrome, has thrust the Frederick County sheriff's office into the national spotlight, opening a debate over police treatment of people with mental disabilities.

"With proper training, these officers would have realized there was a better way to work with Robert," said Kate Fialkowski, executive director of the Arc of Maryland, an advocacy group for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "This is a moment for us not only to mourn, but we must also learn from this tragedy."

Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. Jenkins said he is frustrated by the discussion, which has taken place largely on social media.

"The misinformed comments, the negative comments, people really don't know the facts," Jenkins said. His office has forwarded its investigation of Saylor's death to the Frederick County state's attorney, and is conducting a separate, internal investigation of the deputies' role.
 
Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. Jenkins said he is frustrated by the discussion, which has taken place largely on social media.

"The misinformed comments, the negative comments, people really don't know the facts," Jenkins said.
His office has forwarded its investigation of Saylor's death to the Frederick County state's attorney, and is conducting a separate, internal investigation of the deputies' role.

-------------------------

After an autopsy, the office of the chief medical examiner in Baltimore ruled the death a homicide by asphyxia last week.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-saylor-death-investigation-20130221,0,2814676.story


Baltimore attorney Joseph Espo, who is representing the family, said Saylor's caregiver might have been able to defuse the situation, but the caregiver was outside getting her car to take Saylor home when the conflict started.

"They could have just waited a couple of minutes for Ethan's caregiver to return to the scene and let her deal with it," Espo said.
"He was sitting in his seat, while admittedly not having paid for another ticket, minding his own business. It was not an urgent situation that required immediate attention."

When the caregiver returned to the theater, she tried to intervene and de-escalate the situation but was ignored, Espo said.

"The deputies continued doing their thing," he said. "They didn't disengage."

http://www.wtop.com/46/3230212/Inquiry-in-disabled-mans-death-is-complete
 
Those of you who are taking an interest in Ethan's case, Thank You. :please:

I would encourage people to go read the things being written about Ethan.
If you make it through without getting teary then you might want to check and make sure you are human. :tears:

http://www.facebook.com/LoveAndMemoriesOfRobertEthanSaylor

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The aide tried to intervene to help with the situation and was completely ignored.
JUST like in Antonio's case... those who KNEW the victim were disregarded when they tried to explain or help. :furious:

Honestly, until the above statement from the Sheriff I was more sad than angry.

Don't tell me I don't know the facts. I DO. I KNOW the facts I need to know.

THREE plain clothes deputies went up to ONE man with Down syndrome at a movie who was sitting peacefully.
These 3 deputies had 10 years, 16 years and 23 YEARS of experience.

Instead of being patient and waiting for his aide to return, they forcibly removed him.
I'm sure he had been told to remain where he was and he was following the directions he was given.

I do not know what Ethan's cognitive level was. But let's say it was 6-10 years old.
What is a 6-10 year old boy taught to do if 3 strange men try to remove him from the movie theater?

Do we really want kids to simply go with anyone who says they are a cop, uniform or not?
Ethan ADORED cops. Had 3 uniformed officers walked up to him he likely would have gone anywhere with them!

The absolute LACK of ANY kind of understanding of people with disabilities is so disturbing to me I can't even express it.
I feel like we are going backwards instead of forward. Losing progress instead of making more progress. :banghead:
 
Ethan's birthday was January 9th.
Ethan died January 12th.


When Ethan was born in 1987 people were still learning that you could raise children with Down syndrome at home.

Many kids born a few years before Ethan were simply put in institutions and the parents tried again for a typical child.

So, when Ethan was born... there weren't many Down syndrome groups around. So Ethan's Mom, started one. :seeya:


Patti Saylor founded F.R.I.E.N.D.S. in 1988.
In its infancy, the group consisted of a core group of families who participated in monthly meetings, community educational activities and family events.

----------------------------

"We as a family always sought to provide Ethan the best life possible while promoting awareness and acceptance of all people with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities," Saylor wrote in an email to The Frederick News-Post.

Saylor named the group F.R.I.E.N.D.S., which stands for Family Resource, Information and Education Network for Down Syndrome.

Patti Saylor has previously served on the state Developmental Disabilities Council and helped to found the Parents' Place of Western Maryland, a resource center for parents of children with disabilities, she said.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyID=147218#.UShsFlcuy3o


Weikert said he was saddened by the tragic irony surrounding Saylor's death.
An enthusiastic supporter of law enforcement, Saylor collected information on different agencies and would call for deputies just so they could come to his house and talk to him.


"The part of society he trusted the most ended up being his worst nightmare," Weikert said.

http://www.wtop.com/70/3230212/Inquiry-in-death-of-man-with-Down-syndrome-is-complete
 
I don't normally shed a tear at too much on Websleuths. I can read autopsy reports without batting an eye. I can look at crime scene photos without cringing. But this story... that memorial video... I was bawling like a baby. So tragic that this lovable guy lost his life to the very kind of people he looked up to the most.

My question is, why was an arrest so necessary?! And a forceful one at that?! And furthermore, why the hell was his caregiver ignored?! Do we really need to forcefully arrest someone who is sitting in a movie theater past the time of the movie that he paid for? Is there no better way to handle this situation?!

I don't want "administrative leave". I want justice. This is disgusting. :furious:
 
"In being respectful to the Saylor family he was becoming belligerent, he was becoming loud, he was cursing," says Sheriff Jenkins.

-------------------------

The Sheriff's Office says they routinely handle death investigations and even though the three deputies were involved, there wasn't a conflict of interest.

http://your4state.com/fulltext?nxd_id=296042


Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins says his deputies were nothing but professional when they removed 26-year-old Robert Ethan Saylor, who had Down syndrome, from a Frederick movie theater last month.

“There did come a point when they had to remove him from his seat. By all accounts, there was no excessive force,” Jenkins said.

Investigators say security was called when Saylor refused to leave after the health aide who accompanied him to the theater told him to wait inside while she got the car.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/...me-since-disabled-man-dies-in-police-custody/
 
This is a guy who didn't understand there was a non emergency number to the police and routinely called 911.
To me that says he was likely still a young boy cognitively. I do wish we knew his cognitive age.
The fact that the Sheriff says he was becoming loud... just reflects how little he knows about people with disabilities.

This was a scared young man who didn't know that these were cops, or didn't believe they were (in plain clothes.)
He was defending himself against three strange men.
He reacted to this just as we TEACH our children to react!

He was also trying to do as he had been instructed by his aide.

He was simply sitting in a chair in a movie theater. ANY force was excessive!

When we teach our kids not to go with strangers... we don't teach them it's okay if they have a badge but no uniform.
Common sense of approaching him differently may have prevented them from having any issues.

Ballerina did a great job of explaining how I feel. I simply can't get over the absurdity of this.
My only consolation is I don't think he died believing his idols were doing this to him.
I don't think he knew they were cops. Had uniformed officers approached him he would have likely gone with them. :twocents:


Here is a good example of a person with Down syndrome defending themselves.

My best friend's son had Lymphoma a few years ago. They understandably wanted to check all his Lymph nodes.
When they tried to tell J that they needed to check his groin area nodes, he did exactly as he had been instructed.
Just about the entire hospital knew that J knew how to protect himself. "No! You don't f-ing touch me there!" :great:
They simply checked them when he was sedated... and J is doing very well now. :seeya:
 
This is a guy who didn't understand there was a non emergency number to the police and routinely called 911.
To me that says he was likely still a young boy cognitively. I do wish we knew his cognitive age.
The fact that the Sheriff says he was becoming loud... just reflects how little he knows about people with disabilities.

This was a scared young man who didn't know that these were cops, or didn't believe they were (in plain clothes.)
He was defending himself against three strange men.
He reacted to this just as we TEACH our children to react!

He was also trying to do as he had been instructed by his aide.

He was simply sitting in a chair in a movie theater. ANY force was excessive!

When we teach our kids not to go with strangers... we don't teach them it's okay if they have a badge but no uniform.
Common sense of approaching him differently may have prevented them from having any issues.

Ballerina did a great job of explaining how I feel. I simply can't get over the absurdity of this.
My only consolation is I don't think he died believing his idols were doing this to him.
I don't think he knew they were cops. Had uniformed officers approached him he would have likely gone with them. :twocents:


Here is a good example of a person with Down syndrome defending themselves.

My best friend's son had Lymphoma a few years ago. They understandably wanted to check all his Lymph nodes.
When they tried to tell J that they needed to check his groin area nodes, he did exactly as he had been instructed.
Just about the entire hospital knew that J knew how to protect himself. "No! You don't f-ing touch me there!" :great:
They simply checked them when he was sedated... and J is doing very well now. :seeya:

The thanks button wasn't enough. Fantastic post. :heartbeat: Is there any way that training could be improved to prevent this kind of tragedy in the future? It won't bring this loving young man back, but it would honor him. Like you said, MsFacetious, the sheriff may not have understood what was going on when Ethan became "loud". Most of the men and women that police deal with become "loud" when they are trying to be a problem or be rambunctious. Ethan's increase in volume was stemmed from fear and probably some discomfort- not an intent to be disrespectful. In the defense of these security guards, perhaps they really did not know any better way to handle the situation. I wonder what the current protocol is for a situation like this. Is there currently a program that addresses how to properly handle those with disabilities?


On another note, why were the security guards not clearly dressed as policemen? I mean no disrespect with my question. But when I go to the movies and I see a security guard, he or she looks like any other cop. The uniformity of cops is something valuable because it DOES instill an element of trust in young children. I'm having trouble following why these security guards weren't dressed as such when I compare it to my own personal experience. Did I miss something in the news articles?
 
I could have sworn it said they were in plain clothes?
But... my daughter knows the difference between a security guard and a police officer.
I think Ethan would as well, since he was as much into law enforcement as my daughter and my daughter is only 10.

As far as training, I am already contacting people.
There are a few people who assist with training organizations.
I am finding out if they do law enforcement and if not WHY not.

These were veteran officers. 10 years. 16 years. 23 years.
After THAT long they should KNOW how to handle a situation like this. It isn't rocket science!
 

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