I am currently working on the following issue for a mother and her disabled son who lives in North Eastern PA. Let me know your opinions about her situation and what you would do if it were your child that this was happening to...
Before I share the situation with you I want you to know one very important thing about me...I totally and absolutely support the members of our law enforcement community. I would not want to do what they do for the money they get paid. Also I am aware of how they are treated by certain members of the community or criminals and their families. I know that in many cases they and their service are not appreciated or acknowledged properly by us as citizens...So, keep that fact in mind as you read this very disturbing post...
A young disabled man in NEPA had a friend who threatened to kill himself...another teenager...and his mother called me about the matter and asked me how I thought she should respond. I told her that (a). She and her son could do nothing; however, if the young man killed himself then how would they feel about it, or (b) Report the situation to the authorities to determine whether his suicide threat was legitimate or not. I also informed her that if the young man was only fooling around that he might get really angry and retaliate against her son for reporting his suicide threat. Her son chose to report the situation. From what we were told, the young man was only fooling around or was not serious.
Shortly after that the young man who called 911 for his friend, who he thought was going to kill himself, received a threat of bodily harm...that his former friend was going to beat the crap out of him. Then more threats, harassment and intimidation started to occur. All this has been properly reported to the police and nothing was done to the young man and his accomplices for what he was doing.
Then one night a man pulled up to the young man in what appeared to be an unmarked police car...a Ford Crown Victoria...and approached him. The man had a flashing light on the top of his car which made it look like it was a police car. He had a hat on his head (the type of hat that police wear at official functions), a uniform shirt on and flashed a badge. He asked the young man for his ID. The young man showed him his ID. The man who approached the disabled juvenile was not an officer and was impersonating one. A police report was filed, a composite sketch was done and that was the end of the matter. Nothing else happened.
Since that time the disabled young man has been approached again by the man impersonating an officer; however, this time he did not get out of the car. Another report filed and nothing happened. The mother and her son were told that the "investigation" was still continuing.
The local state police barracks was called but they could not get involved unless the local police department called and asked for their assistance. The county DA's office was called about the matter as well. After nearly 6 weeks and an on going campaign of harassment and stalking type behavior no line up has ever been done so the juvenile can identify the police impersonator and no arrest has been made. And to make matters even worse the mother was told by someone in law enforcement that nothing can or will be done until something actually happens to her son. You have no idea how that upset me as well as the mother and her son.
Her son has been in a state of severe anxiety and depression over this because he can not comprehend how it is that the members of his local law enforcement community will not do something to protect him. I have talked with him on the phone (with his mother present at the time of the call) to assure him that this issue will not go away and we will continue to fight until he gets the justice he deserves.
So, after nearly 6 weeks of this type of conduct on the part of law enforcement I called people I know in the state government and we have been given one more option to pursue which we have not yet done. We are waiting until Friday of this week before we take the next step which is to take the complaint to an official at the state level. I do not feel comfortable about reporting a police officer or department for a failure to do their job because of my respect for law enforcement. However, we are reaching that point where I believe that something MUST be done and be done quickly before this young man is hurt or even killed.
One thing I can assure you...we are not going to let this matter go away. We are going to continue on our course regarding this disabled young man until he gets the justice and protection he deserves.
If this were your child, what would you have done or what would you do regarding this situation? I look forward to hearing your opinions and thoughts regarding this situation.
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