Press Release: Black Families Matter

Press Release from Hilton BLM ROC regarding June 13, 2020 Hit and Run Accident and subsequent Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Inaction:

 

On June 14, 2020, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office issued an official press release stating that a car “brushed against a protester in Hilton” during a BLM protest in Hilton on June 13, 2020, and that the “protester was not injured.” Both statements were inaccurate, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has not only failed to retract the misleading statements and set the public record straight, but the department then used those erroneous predeterminations to prejudice a 40-hour “investigation” which rationalized the initial unfounded claims.

 

After reviewing video and photo evidence, Chief Investigator John Auberger acknowledged on June 22, 2020, that the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office’s initial statement to the press misrepresented the severity of the collision between the vehicle and the protester—which had resulted in injury to the protester—and belatedly generated an accident report reflecting that the driver was at fault for striking the protester. However, no citation was issued to the driver for striking the pedestrian, nor for leaving the scene of the accident and failing to report the collision to authorities. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office also failed to incorporate evidence of the driver’s intent into its findings, and inaccurately applied the vehicular code to assign responsibility to the protester, in an attempt to diminish culpability of the driver in the incident.

 

Blatantly ignoring the recommendation of Chief Investigator John Auberger, Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter has declined to correct the department’s initial statement to the press.

 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Code of Ethics states:

 

“I SHALL ENSURE that I and my employees, in the performance of our duties, will enforce and administer the law according to the standards of the U.S. Constitution and applicable State Constitutions and statutes so that equal protection of the law is guaranteed to everyone. To that end I shall not permit personal opinions, party affiliations, or consideration of the status of others to alter or lessen this standard of treatment of others.”

 

In this instance, the peaceful protester was denied equal protection under the law in an effort to bias the personal opinions of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office–which documented those preconceived opinions in a press release, prior to investigating the incident.

 

In an effort to obtain justice for the protester who was struck by the vehicle, Hilton BLM ROC hereby calls on the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to issue citations to the driver of the vehicle for not only striking the pedestrian, but also for fleeing the scene of a motor vehicle accident and failing to report the collision.

 

We further offer video and photo evidence of the severity of the collision, and ask that members of the public join us in condemning the cover-up that has been conducted by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

 

We also ask that the Monroe County Legislature use its oversight role to take action to address the lack of response of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to the criminal actions of the driver of the vehicle, and we call on the Monroe County District Attorney to adequately charge the driver of the vehicle.

 

Finally, on Thursday, July 2nd at 5pm, at 59 Henry St, Hilton, NY 14468, we will be marching again to let everyone know that we will not be intimidated and we are demanding justice for the victim of the hit and run, and all People of Color and allies.

 

###