Thread by @NeuroClastic

In Saratoga County, NY, the police were called by a @Target employee on Black teens, siblings. Police harassed & became forceful & violent with a 14 year old autistic boy who was holding candy. He kept saying over & over, “I have money.”#AskingAutistics #AutismAcceptanceMonth

Officers tackle the child. His 17-year-old sister is screaming, "he's autistic!" over and over. She is manhandled and aggressed against and ARRESTED. Police put felony assault & a resisting arrest charges on her. The autistic boy was not arrested because he committed no crimes.

His sister didn’t either. Gratuitous and unprovoked violence against a family member, a disabled child, is legal cause for defense. Looks like a pair of hate crimes.

The sister was absolutely doing what family does. But look what @SaratogaSheriff John Zurlo had to say, "We take all allegations of assault against law enforcement seriously and they will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law."

No, Sir. Nothing about that is okay.

Mr. Zurlo, Sir, anyone who watches their little autistic brother being treated the way that your officers treated this child would have no choice. The distress and trauma you mindlessly and needlessly put those children through is inexcusable.

Even the bystander who filmed this senseless act of police violence had no idea who to call for help. This is your legacy, @SaratogaSheriff, and the only people you’re serving and protecting are yourselves.

But it gets worse. Last month @SaratogaSheriff announced last month he’s putting decals on cars for April:

Here’s what that looks like:

Does Sheriff Zurlo not know anything about disability and autism? He knows 50-80% of police encounters are with a disabled person. He knows autistics can seem uncooperative. He said this last month.

Yet his officers caused this. @Target needs to handle this so it stops happening. Do not call the police on Black children for any non-emergency reason. This is partially your fault. You need to make a policy and reparations to the Ware family.

@SaratogaSheriff, do you know anything about what it’s like being the big sister to an autistic sibling with higher support needs? You need to read this and sit with it because you need to know what that sister’s life might be like. neuroclastic.com/seclusion-brok…

If you don’t know yet, @SaratogaSheriff, you’re going to learn what brain states are and how beyond a certain threshold of limbic activation a person is not operating consciously. That child whose life you care nothing about could not have stopped herself. This was defense.

You bragged to the news about how you are going to deal with that precious high school big sister “to the fullest extent of the law.” You gave her autistic brother A HEAD INJURY. FOR NOTHING. And now you want to put a distressed child you absolutely provoked in prison?!

Why was she distressed beyond the point of inhibition? Because your officers caused harm and were violent to her baby brother. No, wearing a uniform does not excuse an unprovoked assault. You cannot treat us this way. That child had candy in his hand and money to pay for it.

Do you hate autistic people or are you just violently racist? Did you rely on your whiteness to get away with this brutality?

@wendyliberatore @timesunion @SaraMRizzo @WTEN We would like to provide you with quotes for your future coverage of this.

@SaratogaSheriff Your puzzle piece decals won't help anything if your officers don't care if someone is autistic. But you knew better. You put a PR stunt with your puzzle piece decals out for April like you care, but you clearly don't care.

@SaratogaSheriff You went on the record last month knowing as many as 80% of the calls you receive are for disabled people.

You said this. To the news. Last month @SaratogaSheriff. This is going in that courtroom. You knew better.

timesunion.com/news/amp/Mom-A…

#AskingAutistics and allies to please retweet, post about, tag, share, create content about, contact reporters and activists, do your research, and defend these children from further harm. The family has asked for public help. Can someone find their gofundme?