How is this Fair?
My family is dealing with something very troublesome.
Please read below a letter we have sent to a senator for help. It explains everything. I have been tweeting about this, and I have decided to post this blog so people can get as much info about this.
The support we have is amazing and so much of the town of Abilene is presently rallying with us. But knowing how ugly the fight could get, I just want to have as much support, and prayer with us as we fight for justice here.
Dear Senator
I have a twelve-year-old nephew in Abilene, TX.
He is an A-honor-roll student and scores 100s on every state test. He has never had disorderly conduct in school or been aggressive in any way. Several former teachers have spoken on his behalf to a school board hearing stating that he is well-liked, helpful to others, not disruptive, and one said “The best student I’ve ever had.” (If you met him, you’d know what a loving personality he has. ) One day an incident occurred that changed my nephew’s life. My nephew, Wyatt, (who is only twelve—but tall for his age) was a victim. He’s never done anything wrong or been in any kind of trouble. He was surprised one day that two regularly-dressed strangers tried to restrain him and handcuff him. He thought he was being kidnapped, but was mistaken for a different boy who the officers were seeking. He fought to get away, and bit one of his ‘abductors.’ He was fighting for his life. Eventually, Wyatt discovered they were real peace officers. After taking Wyatt to the juvenile detention center, he proved to them he was not who they thought. Upon realizing their mistake, they decided to cover themselves by giving him felony charges. That’s where that penal code comes in. They used this law to threaten him into a plea bargain, so the family would not go forward in filing a law suit. The family understands why this law is made—to protect, but in this instance, Wyatt should be an exception—because he is not a danger to others and is an outstanding student. Please, Senator, continue reading…
My sister and brother-in-law have investigated the situation thoroughly. My sister knows city officials personally and has now heard that the officers are claiming to have shown their badges to Wyatt and are suddenly claiming to have been in marked vehicles—while Wyatt’s father removed Wyatt’s belongings from the officer’s unmarked vehicle. The same vehicle Wyatt saw them pull up in. The officers have now changed their claims about the original pursuant they were after, being younger than 16 (since Wyatt is only 12), but his birth records show his age is 16.
Here’s the statement from his father at the school board meeting—while fighting for his son to stay in his honors program at his own school:
The Moment of Wyatt’s Alleged Felony Assault of a Peace Officer
Two adults in regular clothing with guns on their hips emerge from a blue car, approach, and stand at the entrance to fenced-in the skating area.
Detectives: “Colton, Colton, come here.”
Wyatt steps tentatively toward them.
Wyatt: “Excuse me, did I do something wrong?”
Detectives: “Do you think you did something wrong?”
Wyatt, believing these people might be park workers, responds: “Is the skate park closed today?”
Detectives: “You’re under arrest, Colton.” T
he detectives step toward Wyatt and grab Wyatt’s arms. Wyatt tries to pull away and run. Both detectives attack him and attempt to handcuff him. As Wyatt struggles to free himself,
he screams: “Help! Help! These aren’t real police! Help! Help! They’re trying to kidnap me!” Everyone out in the surrounding Rose Park simply looks on.
During the struggle to handcuff him, the detectives tear out a handful of Wyatt’s hair and scour a large ten-inch abrasion and bruise across his chest. They handcuff him, hands behind his back, to the fence of the skate-park. They pull his shirt over his head to blind him and muffle his cries for help.
Four Important Points Regarding Wyatt’s Alleged Felony Assault of a Peace Officer
1. Before these two plain-clothed detectives accosted Wyatt and began grabbing and apprehending him, never, not once, did they identify themselves as police officers.
2. The detectives called Wyatt by the wrong name several times. This frightened and disoriented Wyatt.
3. Wyatt did exactly as he’d been taught to do by the AISD and by the Abilene Police Department. He tried to evade being grabbed; he repeatedly screamed for help and created a scene to draw attention; and he fought being abducted.
4. Wyatt attempted only to defend himself. By definition, assault is a willful offensive attack. Wyatt never did this. Wyatt fought to keep from being handcuffed by two plain-clothed, dangerously armed strangers who didn’t even know who Wyatt was. Wyatt’s actions were strictly defensive. He was trying to free himself and to run away.
Senator, Wyatt’s teachers cried at the school board hearing, and so did the superintendent when he first viewed the photos of Wyatt’s wounds after the incident. He has many supporters that know and will testify he is a good kid. It’s not fair. Being in an alternative school would scar him and scare him. When did Wyatt make a bad decision? What will he learn from this lesson? I don’t see where he went wrong and has to be subjected to an alternative school-deprived of his GT classes, football, and UIL activities. The experience could ruin him—and he’d be introduced to some REAL aggressive students of whom we don’t want him to know or them to know Wyatt.
What I’d also like to bring to your attention is that the one person on the board who did not seem to be in favor of Wyatt’s petition was a middle school principal (from another campus) who knew all about the details of the incident before he should have.
One of the two officers is a security guard at this principal’s campus. They are friends.
The superintendent had already said in a prior meeting that he’d seek the minimum of one day at the alternative school. I think when all had to come to an agreement, the only minimum reached was a whole month—thanks to that officer’s friend on the board as that was an unfair judging. Why is this alternative school being used as a place of punishment, instead of concerns that he could be a danger to others? Since Wyatt did not “know” this was a public servant and since he was an innocent victim of mistaken identity and wounding—shouldn’t that count for his innocence. The police are making themselves look like the victims now. How can they do that?
Please, Senator, what can be done to help this situation? Wyatt’s parents have been working with a local attorney and the real court hearing is much later after school begins—which, hopefully, will clear these felony charges against him. They are currently seeking an out-of-town attorney and has sent Wyatt to live with an uncle in Victoria to attend a private school—only to protect him from being exposed to the environment of the alternative school.
There are already rumors that the officers and police chief are working to cover this up from being their mistake in the first place. (According to supporters who’ve called the police chief and DA on Wyatt’s behalf.)
Wyatt’s father is a graduate of Harvard and is currently a professor at McMurry University. His mother has connections in the city since has been an associate editor for the Abilene Reporter News and Director of the Tourism and Convention Bureau.
They have local support, but cannot convince the DA to be open-minded in the matter of their son. They have kept the story from the media because of the two officers’ known efforts to cover their tracks in rebuttal. However, the story will surface eventually as they are awaiting a fair trial.
Based on his outstanding student record, shouldn’t he be proven guilty BEFORE being sent to an alternative campus?
If you can help in some way, or have any contacts who would be willing to help with this, please call me. This can happen to any innocent child—even the best of them, like Wyatt.
Thank you in advance for your consideration,
Now officers are spreading rumors deliberately to supporters implying ugly lies in “trench warfare” alleging to have evidence against Wyatt to scare the family into the plea bargain. The story implications are only vague enough to get by as rumors, but not specific—such as nasty rumors implying my nephew as doing something sexual in the back seat of their car. Those who know him & his own teachers KNOW he would NEVER be vulgar or disrespectful in such a way. He is not capable of it. Though the officers know what is on the vehicle surveillance video—as does the attorney who has viewed it—the video WILL NOT show these alleged acts or ANY profanity (allegedly said by Wyatt as they are claiming)—to intimidate the family or convince the public before the hearing. Wyatt’s mother heard these nasty accusations about her son and became physically sick and nauseous over these officers’ lack of integrity.
The End
Spread the word, get this on every podcast and call the police chief and senators for Texas and let them know of this injustice today!
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