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Robert Saylor, Man With Down Syndrome, Dies of Suffocation While in Police Custody Over Movie
Opposing Views ^ | February 19, 2013 | Michael Allen

Posted on 02/21/2013 9:13:55 PM PST by Altariel

Robert Saylor, a 26-year-old man with Down Syndrome, died of suffocation while in the custody of three off-duty sheriff’s deputies last month, according to the ruling of the Baltimore County Medical Examiner’s office (video below).

According to WJLA-TV, Saylor liked the movie 'Zero Dark Thirty' and wanted to watch another showing. However, a Regal Cinema employee asked Saylor to leave.

When Saylor refused to leave, the employee summoned theater security, which was three off-duty sheriff’s deputies: Lt. Scott Jewell, Sgt. Rich Rochford and Deputy First Class James Harris.

The three security guards handcuffed Saylor and threw his face on the ground where police say he had a “medical emergency," which was likely a struggle to breathe.

Jennifer Bailey, of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, said in a statement: “They made numerous attempts to get him to leave, he was cursing at them, at that point they physically removed him, and he began having the medical emergency.”

Bailey said the off-duty deputies “immediately removed the handcuffs and administered first aid” when they noticed Saylor going into distress.

Saylor was later pronounced dead at Frederick Memorial Hospital in Frederick, Maryland.

The case is now under investigation by the Maryland State Attorney’s Office.

Patti Saylor, Robert’s mother, stated that her son “has never had anyone put their hands on him in his life. He would not have been doing anything threatening to anybody.”

Source: WJLA-TV


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: deathincustody; donutwatch; downsyndrome; robertsaylor
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Comment #21 Removed by Moderator

To: jonrick46
Just say no to theaters. It will be on TV soon.

I think the first Star Wars was the last movie I saw in a theater. My kids just had to see it. They are now in their 40s.

22 posted on 02/22/2013 4:14:01 AM PST by tdscpa
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To: tdscpa
Just say no to theaters. It will be on TV soon.

Exactly...why finance the left?

23 posted on 02/22/2013 4:25:34 AM PST by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: yarddog
"Why in the world did they handcuff then throw him face first on the ground?"

They didn't. According to the article author:

"The three security guards handcuffed Saylor and threw his face on the ground ....."

Reads as if they removed his face.

In seriousness and sadness, RIP Robert

24 posted on 02/22/2013 4:27:06 AM PST by 1_Rain_Drop
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To: Altariel
theater security, which was three off-duty sheriff’s deputies

It's amazing the number of government hirelings that have side jobs. Government folk seem to be some of the hardest working people out there. Either that or they get to pretty much sleep through their day job.

25 posted on 02/22/2013 4:43:20 AM PST by Reeses
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To: Altariel

Dreadful. RIP.


26 posted on 02/22/2013 4:57:11 AM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: Altariel

First, you have the initial employee who made contact with Robert. This employee is most likely a product of our illustrious public school system, where our youth are so well socialized and indoctrinated to tolerate others, and think on their own, that this employee was able to recognize and empathize with a disabled person. Oh, wait, this didn’t happen?

Then you have the caring public servants, police officers, that understand they are to support their neighbors in the community and recognize and empathize with a disabled person. Oh, wait, this didn’t happen?

People get so caught up in the “rules” that no one thinks anymore.


27 posted on 02/22/2013 4:57:56 AM PST by ican'tbelieveit (School is prison for children who have commited the crime of being born. (attr: St_Thomas_Aquinas))
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To: Altariel

The very first thing I do when I arrest somebody is throw their face on the ground.

What exactly does that mean? I know what it means, the writer of the story is biased. I’ve been the victim of liberal bias in the newspaper myself.

Just last week Chris Dorner was a great guy who got railroaded and BBQ’d by LAPD.

I listened to Beck yesterday. He had the sheriff on the phone that was involved in the electric meter fiasco. After getting the sheriff’s side of the story Beck said the sheriff sounded like a reasonable man. The sheriff gave information that Beck didn’t have.

Beck shot from the hip. He didn’t apologize but he sure danced around an apology. After he got some information from the sheriff he ended the conversation by asking the sheriff where he stood on the 2nd amendment as if that was going to be his final ‘gotcha.’ Seems the sheriff was pro 2nd amendment too and Glenn’s story fizzled. Get both sides first then do what you gotta do. Trial by media usually leaves egg on a lot of faces and I bet Glenn learned a lesson. At least I hope he did.

Our dept. wanted less injuries to people when they were arrested so they gave us pepper spray. One of our guys pepper sprayed a man and he died. They gave us tazers. People die from being tazered.

Are there legitimate instances of police brutality. Yes. Is this one of them? We don’t know yet.

Is there bias in the liberal media against the police. Yes. And in my opinion people who believe it, especially people who claim to be conservative, look stupid wiping the egg off of their faces afterward.

There are way too many legitimate things to go after the police for rather than jumping on National Enquirer alien stories.


28 posted on 02/22/2013 5:27:35 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch
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To: cherry

Hopefully Karma exists.


29 posted on 02/22/2013 5:36:21 AM PST by EEGator
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To: Cap'n Crunch

This man’s death has been ruled a homicide.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/02/robert-saylor-s-death-file-sent-to-top-prosecutor-85454.html

I find it unbelievable that you are defending assaulting a man who is mentally a child.

A man should not have died for want of one movie ticket. Period.


30 posted on 02/22/2013 5:57:40 AM PST by Altariel ("Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!")
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To: Altariel

Of course it was ruled a homicide. It wasn’t a suicide. The coroner only has a few choices. All police involved ‘homicides’ go to the prosecutor for review.

Where did I defend assaulting the mentally ill?

You weren’t there. Neither was I. Until all the facts come out I don’t know how reasonable people can condemn the officers. That’s all I’m saying.


31 posted on 02/22/2013 6:08:53 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch
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To: Cap'n Crunch

” Until all the facts come out I don’t know how reasonable people can condemn the officers. That’s all I’m saying.”

Ever heard the old line “Get the net, Fred!”?

Welcome to the new United Police States of America.

Your papers, prease.


32 posted on 02/22/2013 6:18:47 AM PST by GladesGuru (In a society predicated upon freedom, it is necessary to examine principles."..)
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To: Altariel

This is from your own link:

Saylor died of asphyxiation Jan. 12 after three sheriff’s deputies tried to forcibly remove him from a Frederick movie theater at the manager’s request. The state medical examiner’s office has ruled the death a homicide.

“There did come a point when they had to remove him from his seat,” says Jenkins. “There was no excess force. They did have to handcuff Mr. Saylor and unfortunately as they were walking out he suffered a medical emergency.”

Smith says the file doesn’t include the final autopsy report on Saylor. He says his office will need that document to complete its investigation.

~~~~~

The autopsy report isn’t even in yet. It looks to me that the physical exertion may have been too much for him. This is very unfortunate.

My 55 year old obese brother in law takes his teenage son to the movies. He brags about paying for one movie and then jumping from movie to movie and spending the whole day in the theater.

In my opinion it’s stealing. And he’s teaching his son to steal.

If he was ordered to leave by the police and did the same thing that happened here, I wouldn’t feel sorry for him if he keeled over. And it would be ruled a homicide.

People die from over exerting themselves during arrest, it’s going to happen. Cops die from over exertion while fighting with people.

Maybe we should just give overweight people who break the law a pass if they start to resist. Or people that might have a mental problem. I’ve had to fight with plenty of both.

Maybe we shouldn’t enforce trespassing laws on obese or mentally disturbed people? Maybe we should do away with private property, that way there will be no trespassing problems.

Maybe we should stop making arrests for anything except violent felonies. Just issue a summons and hope they show up for court.


33 posted on 02/22/2013 6:30:22 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch
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To: Cap'n Crunch

Maybe we shouldn’t handcuff down syndrome people and throw them face first into the ground. I was a soldier for 10 years, so my experience is a bit different than yours, but overseas we deal with people like this, and more than often enough, calm kind words win the day. There is no defense to the cop’s behavior in this situation.


34 posted on 02/22/2013 6:35:35 AM PST by Bulwyf
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To: Bulwyf

Thanks for your service. I’ll ask you the same question, were you there? I will tell you up front that I was not. Who is the person that said the cops threw him face first onto the ground?

Can you show me (I’m not saying it doesn’t exist) an eyewitness statement that says these cops “threw him face first onto the ground.”

Of all the media reports I have read, I have yet to find one witness who said the cops threw this kid face first to the ground.

The only comment I have found about the use of force in this case was by the sheriff who said there was no excessive force.

I did read one article which said he was accompanied by a home health aid. But there is no statement from the home health aid, that I have found that says the cops slammed him to the ground.

I have seen headlines that say that he was “suffocated by police.” What kind of BS is that?

I’ve been dealing with mentally ill people for nearly 30 years. Sometimes they fight. Sometimes you have no choice. Many times the mental health facilities (physicians) that treat them call us (nearly every day where I work, I had 2 yesterday) to subdue them when they cannot talk them down.

Again, I am saying, the police may have done everything right and this young man died. It is tragic. To blame the police immediately before all the facts are revealed is irresponsible.


35 posted on 02/22/2013 7:04:29 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch
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To: Utilizer

Actually I did see STAR WARS when it was first released. Same thing, continual shows. If you walked in after it started you could still stay for the next showing. Only the high dollar “Road Shows” were more picky. When they went to general release again you could stay for the next showing.


36 posted on 02/22/2013 7:24:19 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar ( Too old to cut the mustard any more.)
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To: Altariel

Sounds like each of the 3 should be charged with 2nd drgree murder.


37 posted on 02/22/2013 11:31:00 AM PST by BuffaloJack (Guns should not be illegal; they should be undocumented.)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

I’m surprised the cops didn’t shoot a dog in the vicinity!
***They got around to it.

Update On Lily The Slain Border Collie (Shot and Killed by Cops)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2990298/posts


38 posted on 02/22/2013 6:10:20 PM PST by Kevmo ("A person's a person, no matter how small" ~Horton Hears a Who)
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To: GladesGuru

IMHO, those are correctly called “copsuckers”.
***Ouch. Jackbootlicking copsuckers. Brutal.


39 posted on 02/22/2013 6:19:34 PM PST by Kevmo ("A person's a person, no matter how small" ~Horton Hears a Who)
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To: Cap'n Crunch

People with Down Syndrome are NOT “mentally ill”.


40 posted on 02/22/2013 7:30:12 PM PST by Politicalmom (Liberalism. Ideas so great they have to be mandatory.-FReeper Osage Orange)
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