DEMOCRACY FAILING

To The Editor

The Mountain Eagle

Joshua Camp died over two years ago, June 17 2016 at about 7PM, to be precise. In the moments preceding his death a Schoharie County Sheriff’s Deputy was pursuing him, and his allegedly unregistered motorcycle, through Middleburgh Village. The pursuit ended on private property in a quiet residential area just a few blocks from where the chase began. Josh’s life ended there and then also.

Reports of the incident varied in describing how the end came with Sheriffs Dept. statement claiming “Mr. Camp was ejected from his motorcycle and came into contact with the patrol vehicle” and others reporting a collision of the vehicles.

The incomplete and differing early reports caused this observer to be skeptical. My professional experience required me to doubt their accuracy and to anticipate a more detailed explanation from the Sheriffs Department, State Police Investigators and County government. Two years on those explanations have not been provided.

A year earlier (8 July 2015) Governor Cuomo had issued Executive Order #147 ordering the Attorney General to assume investigatory responsibility in matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians caused by law enforcement officers. I was puzzled when over a year later the Schoharie County District Attorney stated that the NY AG did not assume jurisdiction for the investigation and that a local Grand Jury had heard the case. That Grand Jury’s report was unsealed one full year after Josh Camp’s death. There was no accompanying press release by our county officials. Instead of providing additional explanation of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Camp’s death the report only raised more questions.

For the past year I have been pressing county and state officials for a more detailed explanation of how it came to pass that a citizen’s death can occur during a bungled attempt to enforce a relatively minor Vehicle and Traffic Law and no fault on the part of the law enforcement officer is found. Multiple Freedom of Information Law requests for relevant documents have been deflected, delayed, denied or ignored. Only after repeated appeals has the State Police Records Unit finally agreed to provide a partially redacted Collision Reconstruction Report eight months after my initial filing.

A recent interview and correspondence with representatives of the NY Attorney General’s office has convinced me they will not be altering their earlier decision, a disappointment in that the transparency and accountability an independent investigation would have produced could have yielded improved community-law enforcement relations and likely, a more disciplined and professional Sheriffs Dept.

The failure of officials involved to do their best for truth and justice represents a missed opportunity for improved government, and a terrible disservice to the citizens of Schoharie County.

Democracy requires the rule of law – rules which are accepted and honored by citizens and fairly applied to all regardless of position, prestige or station. We have failed that ideal.

Wayne Stinson

Summit, NY

Update 4 Aug 2018: The New York State Police, Collision Reconstruction Unit report can be accessed here .  My analysis of the report is posted here.