The incident of a Syracuse high school student slammed to the ground by a Pittsford man during a cross-country meet in Cobb’s Hill Park has attracted national attention.
Both the Washington Post and USA Today have covered it. A Syracuse City Councilwoman whose children go to the same high school as 15-year-old Chase Coleman has written to Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley, asking why no charges have been filed yet.
Police tried to file a charge of harassment against 57-year-old Martin MacDonald of Pittsford, who says he jumped out of his car and body-slammed the 9th grader because he thought the black teenager in the track uniform was going to snatch his wife’s purse. Chase Coleman is autistic and nonverbal, and didn’t respond to MacDonald’s shouts.
A City Court judge denied the warrant application; according to sources because it wasn’t filled out correctly. Police are now said to be making sure to dot all the “I’s” and cross all their “T’s.”