A Pittsford man has pleaded guilty to a charge of harassing an autistic Syracuse teenager and also endangering the welfare of a child.
Martin Macdonald admitted shoving the 15-year-old to the ground last month during a cross-country meet in Cobb’s Hill Park. Chase Coleman approached him after losing his way in the park and getting off the course. McDonald told police he thought the non-verbal autistic teenager was either high on drugs or mocking him. He also told them he thought the African-American teenager might be trying to snatch his wife’s purse.
McDonald didn’t make any comments after the hearing. He’ll be sentenced in January and can expect to spend three years on probation. He won’t face any jail time.
Chase Coleman’s mother, Clarise, says she’s satisfied that the charge against MacDonald was legitimate. She says it’s what she’d be charged with if she shoved a young person around….and she says she’s good with that.