Black Teen Runner With Autism Allegedly Attacked By Man Who Feared Mugging
Chase Coleman was running a cross country race when he lost his way on the course.
11/01/2016 04:09 pm ET
Police in Rochester, New York are continuing to investigate an attack on a black teenaged boy with autism during a cross country meet.
Chase Coleman, 15, was running in a race on Oct. 14 when two witnesses saw a white man shove him to the ground. Police later identified the suspect as Martin MacDonald, 57, who they say admitted to pushing the teen because he feared Coleman was going to mug his wife, according to a police report posted online by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
SPLC Verified account
@splcenter
A black autistic teen got lost running a 5K — then assaulted by a man who says he feared getting mugged
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/10/31/a-black-autistic-teen-got-lost-running-a-5k-then-assaulted-by-a-man-who-feared-getting-mugged/?hpid=hp_no-name_hp-in-the-news%3Apage%2Fin-the-news … by @amybwang
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“I see a grown man, who is quite tall and fairly heavy . . . exit the vehicle and give this young man a shove that puts him back 10 feet and flat on his butt,” Kris Van Metter, who witnessed the incident from his bike, told the Syracuse Post-Standard. “Like, just shoved him across the road. The kid didn’t seem to be doing anything but standing there, obviously had nothing in his hands, and weighed all of 130 pounds. This guy was easily twice that.”
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Since Chase’s verbal communication skills are extremely limited, he is unable to provide his side of the story - both in terms of what happened, and how the aftermath is affecting him emotionally.
Coleman told the Washington Post that her son, who has participated in cross country for two years, lost interest in running after the incident. He ultimately turned in his uniform to his coach.
More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chase-coleman-black-runner-assault_us_5818d804e4b0990edc33cbb3
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And now he will not run again.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Smh 
