An arrest warrant has been issued for the Pittsford man who allegedly jumped an autistic teenager while he was running in a cross-country meet at Rochester’s Cobb’s Hill Park.
The Rochester City Court confirms the warrant was issued today, and the mother of Chase Coleman says she’s been told by a Rochester Police investigator that a second arrest warrant was been submitted to a judge. A judge rejected their first attempt to charge the Pittsford man with harassment. A source says it was because some paperwork was missing.
The 15-year-old runner from Syracuse got confused and ran off the course during the meet October 14th. Witnesses saw 57-year-old Martin MacDonald of Pittsford shove Coleman to the ground. Coleman told police he thought the black teenager running up the road near Cobb’s Hill Reservoir was planning to snatch his wife’s purse.
Chase Coleman is nonverbal due to his autism and rarely speaks. His mother says he became so distraught over the incident that he quit his high school cross-country team.
Rochester Police have invited him to come back to Rochester to run with their recruit class.