  |
| BUFFALO POLICE OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY |
AFTER REALIZING THAT MOST COMPLAINTS OF INJUSTICE USUALLY GO UNANSWERED, I DECIDED TO SHARE MY HUMILIATION CAUSED BY THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES AND THE BUFFALO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MY NAME IS ERIC MARSH, BUT EVERYONE CALLS ME "UNCLE". I LIVE IN THE CITY OF GOOD NEIGHBORS, BUFFALO, NEW YORK.
YOU SEE, I WAS SHOT IN MY LEG DURING A ROBBERY ATTEMPT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2009. JUST A FEW DAYS SHY OF MY 55TH BIRTHDAY. I CONTINUE TO SUFFER THROUGH MONTHS AND MONTHS OF CHALLENGING THERAPY AND UNBEARABLE PAIN. I NOW WALK WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A CANE, WHILE A BULLET REMAIN LODGED IN MY LEG. MY DOCTOR HAS INFORMED ME THAT I WILL NEVER WALK NORMAL AGAIN AND I WILL ALWAYS HAVE MEDICAL ISSUES WITH THE USE OF MY LEG. MOST VIEW ME AS A DRIFTER, OR EVEN LIVING HOMELESS FROM TIME TO TIME. A LIFE NOBODY WANTS.
I HAVE ALWAYS FELT LIKE MY LIFE WAS WORTHLESS, UNTIL I CROSSED PATHS WITH THE QUINN FAMILY. THEY REALLY GAVE ME A SENSE OF SELF WORTH AND DETERMINATION. THEY OFFERED ME TO DO VOLUNTEER WORK AT THEIR DAY CARE CENTER. ODD JOBS SUCH AS KEEPING THE EXTERIOR GROUNDS CLEAN, SHOVELING IN THE WINTER, GRASS CUTTING IN THE SUMMER, WINDOW WASHING, PAINTING, MOVING FURNITURE & TOYS. I BECAME A HANDYMAN SORT OF SPEAKING. THIS IS HOW I GOT THE NAME "UNCLE". EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN REFERRED TO ME AS "UNCLE". THE PARENTS FROM THE DAY CARE ALSO BECAME COMFORTABLE WITH CALLING ME "UNCLE".
PARENTS ATTENDING DAY CARE GAVE ME CONSENT TO ASSIST THEIR DAYCARE CENTER WITH SCHOOL DROP-OFFS AND PICK-UPS. THE CHILDREN LOVED SEEING ME AROUND.
MAY 17, 2010, I WAS WALKING TWO CHILDREN TOWARD THE SCHOOL PLAY GROUND. I NOTICED A VEHICLE FOLLOWING ME WITH 3 NYS OFFICE OF CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES EMPLOYEES IN IT. I KNEW THEY WERE STATE WORKERS BECAUSE OF THE TAGS AROUND THEIR NECKS AND THE STATE TAG HANGING FROM THE VISOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE SHOUTED OUT THE WINDOW AT ME, DEMANDING TO KNOW MY RELATIONSHIP TO THE TWO CHILDREN I WAS WALKING TO THE PLAYGROUND. I YELLED OUT TO HER," THEY ARE MY CHILDREN AND THEY ARE WITH ME!" THE DRIVER THEN REPLIED, " THOSE CHILDREN ARE NOT YOURS AND I'M CALLING THE POLICE TO HAVE YOU ARRESTED!"
I FINALLY ARRIVED AT THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND WHERE THE WOMEN CONTINUED TO FOLLOW AND HARASS ME. JUST AS I WAS ENTERING THROUGH THE PLAYGROUND GATES, A POLICE OFFICER APPROACHED ME. THIS OFFICER IS KNOWN AS OFFICER MITCHELL THOMAS. HE QUESTIONED ME ABOUT THE CHILDREN AND INFORMED ME THAT A 911 CALL HAD COME THROUGH THE STATION.
I INFORMED OFFICER THOMAS THAT I WAS NOT A STRANGER OR PEDOPHILE, AS I WAS BEING TREATED. I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHO I WAS AND WHO THE CHILDREN WERE. AFTER DETAINING ME FOR 30-45 MINUTES AT THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND, THE OFFICER HAD ME PLACE MY HANDS BEHIND MY BACK AS HE REMOVED MY CANE FROM MY HAND. THE CHILDREN STARTED HYSTERICALLY CRYING AND SCREAMING AFTER SEEING THE OFFICER ARREST ME. HE THEN PLACED THE TWO HYSTERICAL CHILDREN IN A SEPARATE SQUAD CAR. THE CHILDREN AND I WERE TAKEN DOWN TO THE LOCAL POLICE STATION.
I WAS ARRESTED AND HUMILIATED IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND. IN FRONT OF OTHER CHILDREN WHO WERE ALSO FRIGHTENED AS THEY WERE PLAYING ON THE PLAYGROUND. I WAS TRULY PUT THROUGH THE MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT OF MY LIFE. THIS TRULY UPSET ME, BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER BEEN ARRESTED FOR ANYTHING. THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL INFORMED OFFICER THOMAS THAT I WAS NORMALLY AT THE SCHOOL WITH THE CHILDREN EVERYDAY.
AFTER ARRIVING AT THE POLICE STATION, I WAS DETAINED AND QUESTIONED MORE REGARDING THE CHILDREN. I GAVE THE OFFICER THE DAY CARE INFORMATION, PARENTS INFORMATION, AND MY PERSONAL INFORMATION. PERSONNEL FROM THE DAY CARE ARRIVED, AS WELL AS THE CHILDREN'S PARENTS. MY CLAIM TO THE POLICE OFFICER REGARDING THE CHILDREN WERE SUBSTANTIATED, AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THE DAY CARE STAFF AND THE PARENTS. I WAS FINALLY RELEASED. NO ONE EVER OFFERED ME AN APOLOGY!
THIS POLICE OFFICER, MITCHELL THOMAS CLEARLY WAS WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NYS OFFICE OF CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES. HIS LINE OF QUESTIONS TO ME WERE ABOUT THE ELAQUENCE DAY CARE THAT HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN. HE ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT THE FORMER OWNER OF THE ELAQUENCE DAY CARE OVER AND OVER. THIS OFFICER WANTED TO KNOW IF I HAD ANY RELATIONS TO THE FORMER ELAQUENCE DAYCARE OR ANY OF ITS STAFF MEMBERS. OFFICER THOMAS MENTIONED COURT CASES PENDING AND INDICTMENTS, INFORMATION THAT ONLY THE NYSOCFS WOULD HAVE AT THAT TIME.
AFTER VIEWING FACEBOOK, I NOTICED THAT A FEW OF OFFICER THOMAS'S FRIENDS WERE EMPLOYED BY THE NYSOCFS. A FAMILY MEMBER OF MINE CALLED THE POLICE STATION TO SEE WHAT TIME THAT 911 CALL CAME THROUGH. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT THERE WAS NEVER ANY 911 CALL MADE TO THE POLICE STATION. THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE OFFICER THOMAS WAS CONTACTED BY HIS NYSOCFS FRIENDS VIA CELL PHONE.
I WELCOME THE POLICE OFFICER TAKING PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY MEASURES TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN OF THE COMMUNITY AND FOR PERFORMING THE SERVICE DUTIES HE IS UPHELD TO PERFORM, BUT NOT AT THE COST OF ABUSING HIS AUTHORITY OR CORRUPTING HIS BADGE. THIS IS CLEARLY A SITUATION OF MISCONDUCT AND CORRUPTION.
I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT OFFICER THOMAS MITCHELL HAS A HISTORY OF MISCONDUCT. THIS SAME POLICE OFFICER WAS ARRESTED FOR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR IN FEBRUARY OF 2008. (PLEASE VIEW THE NEWS ARTICLE FROM WIVB, CHANNEL 4, IN BUFFALO, NY)
I SINCERELY DESERVE JUSTICE FOR WHAT I WENT THROUGH.
THERE IS NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT I DON'T THINK ABOUT THE INJUSTICE THAT HAPPENED TO ME ON MAY 17, 2010.
THE FAITH THAT I NOW HAVE IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM IS SLIM TO NONE.
No comments:
Post a Comment