Down syndrome boy attacked, Police let attackers go!

Sunday, May 18, 2008 at approximately 3:00pm a 15 year old Jewish boy, who suffers from Down syndrome was walking home from school when two African American teenagers approached him on Carroll Street between Troy and Schenectady Avenue and asked him for his money. When he replied that he had no money the perpetrators proceeded to move toward him in a threatening manner at which time the boy began running with the perpetrators close behind him giving chase. The Down syndrome boy running away from his attackers tripped and fell on the ground. Just as the two perpetrators were closing in upon the boy a passing motorist noticed the boy being chased from afar and immediately pulled over to help the boy. Upon his arrival the perpetrators got scared and ran away. The witness called Shmira and members responded within seconds. The Shmira members together with the witness took the boy into the vehicle where he would feel a bit safer and began questioning the boy for a description of the perpetrators. A block later on Carroll Street between Schenectady and Utica Avenue the boy noticed the perpetrators standing outside one of the houses. 911 was immediately dispatched and Shmira members kept an eye on the perpetrators until the Police arrived.

When Police arrived one of the attackers ran into one of the houses on Carroll Street however the other was detained by an Officer outside the house. A Sergeant approached the vehicle where the boy was sitting and requested that everyone except the boy exit the vehicle. When one of the Shmira members brought to his attention that the boy suffers from Down syndrome and was scared to talk to strangers with out having someone he feels comfortable with standing beside him, the Sergeant brushed the information aside and proceeded to interrogate the frightened boy who, as a result of his fear began to claim that nothing happened and that he just fell and that was all. As a result the Police released the perpetrator and the boy was accompanied to his home. When the boy arrived at his home Hatzalah was called to examine some wounds the boy had acquired when he fell. Police were called once again, responded to the victims home and initiated a hate crime investigation. However no arrests have been made.

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