There has been a torrent of negative reaction to the death of a man with Down syndrome while in custody of three deputies of the Sheriff's Office in Frederick County, Md.

Sheriff Chuck Jenkins has written a "letter of citizens" and will hold a public meeting Thursday evening to answer questions about the case and to discuss other public safety issues.

The death of a man with Down syndrome who was reportedly killed after lying face-down in police custody has been ruled a homicide.

WJLA reports that Robert Saylor, 26, of New Market, Md., was asphyxiated on Jan. 12, according to a medical examiner's ruling late last week.

A "law enforcement source familiar with the case" told the station that Saylor "went into distress when he was put face down on the ground."

Police were reportedly called to a Frederick movie theater by employees who couldn't get Saylor to leave. He had come to the theater with a health aide, paid admission for "Zero Dark Thirty," but allegedly remained after it was over.

Dr. George Kirkham, a criminologist and former law enforcement officer, told the Frederick News Post that Saylor's death may have been caused by positional asphyxia.

From the Post:

Positional asphyxia is typically the result of an intense struggle and often involves a person who is handcuffed and lying on their stomach after the struggle. Kirkham said people often panic and can't catch their breath. People with larger stomachs are particularly vulnerable, he said, because their bellies will push into their sternums, making breathing even more difficult.

Frederick County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jennifer Bailey said the case is still under investigation and that the three officers involved in Saylor's death -- Lt. Scott Jewell, Sgt. Rich Rochford and Deputy First Class James Harris -- "continue to work their normal assignments," according to the Post.

Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith said his office is reviewing the incident and has not decided whether to bring charges.

WJLA previously spoke with Saylor's mom after the incident.

"He just loved unconditionally everybody," Patti Saylor said. "He has never had anyone put their hands on him in his life. He would not have been doing anything threatening to anybody."

Police officers nationwide often lack appropriate training for dealing with suspects who have special needs, according to a study by Crisis Intervention Team International.

Other research by disability advocacy groups has found that "law enforcement officers often receive little or no training in the area of intellectual and developmental disabilities and have difficulty recognizing a person who has this disability."

SOURCE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/18/robert-saylors-death-homic... 

The 26-year-old, Robert Ethan Saylor, was so enamored with law enforcement that he would call 911 just to ask questions. About a month ago, he'd gone to see "Zero Dark Thirty” and immediately wanted to see it again. When he refused to leave the Frederick, Md., movie theater, security was called, and three off-duty deputies arrived: Lt. Scott Jewell, Sgt. Rick Rochford and Deputy First Class James Harris.

According to the Washington Post, "Saylor cursed at the deputies, who weren't wearing uniforms, and began hitting and kicking them. The deputies restrained him using three sets of handcuffs linked together and escorted him from the theater." At some point, he "ended up on the ground ... suffered a medical emergency and died."

Patti Saylor, Ethan’s mother, told the CBS local Baltimore station, “He has never had anybody put their hands on him before in his life. He would not have been doing anything threatening to anybody.”

The lawyer for the family, Joseph Espo, told the Washington Post, “Ethan was developmentally disabled, not a criminal.” If anything, noted the paper, Saylor, who was a huge “NCIS” fan, caused police to make too many unnecessary trips to his house because he just liked to talk to officers, prompting his mom to bring cookies to the station as a thank you last year.

Espo added that more training for officers seemed to be in order. “Clearly it highlights a need for training, if there was none, or more and better training if there was some," he said.

The story has received national attention. Comments like this one on the Frederick County Facebook page are typical: “Obvious this man was mentally challenged just by appearance and any police officer worth his salt would and should have taken that into consideration. This is a sad, horrible thing and action should be taken against these officers," wrote Brandon Aviance Glenn.

Cathi Clark Kreis posted, “I am a special education teacher for 20 years and have NEVER met a violent child with Down Syndrome! As a teacher, I am required to be trained in Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI). I'm surprised police officers are not.”

After hundreds of concerned messages, Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins posted a letter in response. It reads in part, “The death of Mr. Saylor was very tragic and I want to assure everyone that a thorough investigation is being conducted.” Jenkins added that the three officers had been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

SOURCE: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/man-down-syndrome-loved-police-...