Excerpt from: Media dis&dat (click for full article)
The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC)
believes that Robert Ethan Saylor’s (pictured) civil rights were violated when he
died after being restrained by three off-duty Frederick County, MD,
Sheriff’s deputies. Although the coroner ruled Saylor’s death a
homicide, a grand jury declined to indict the deputies.
“We cannot comprehend the series of poor decisions that were made
leading to Ethan’s death,” noted David Tolleson, Executive Director of
NDSC. “If you used any other adjective to describe him – such as his
race, religion, gender or sexual orientation – the streets would be
filled with people seeking justice. It appears that individuals at the
theatre acted as if this was an emergency situation, or that Ethan
presented an imminent threat, when in fact more time was both needed and
available to assess the situation.”
Tolleson adds, “By all reports, the officers involved are good men
who did not intend for Ethan to die. However, if an otherwise good
person with good intentions were to kill someone with their car –
perhaps because of neglected maintenance or driving under the influence –
they would still be held accountable.”
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