Top Posts Tagged with #freematthewrushin

Justice for Matthew Rushin - Black Autistic Lives Matter! #BLM #Justice4MatthewRushin

Hello there I have not seen any mention of what happened to Matthew Rushin on Tumblr yet so, I’m making this post hoping it gains traction. PLEASE signal boost, take your time to read and donate if you can or share, because this is a MASSIVE injustice and it needs to be spread around more. I don’t have many (active) followers so I don’t know how far this will go, but I’m hoping more people see this so please if you do see this, share and follow their social medias we need justice for Matthew ASAP. He is experiencing vision loss and other symptoms related to a cyst in his brain that required medical care when he was and still is in his cell. I am going to keep my words brief, to give more voice to the family as they speak and explain best about what has been going on. There is an email template in this post that you can use to send to Virginia representatives (also listed), a GoFundMe link. This is all taken from the family’s Facebook post and photos.

Also please feel free to add more hashtags, I added what I came up with.

I’m not only fighting for my son Matthew Rushin but for all those who have been wrongfully convicted. Laws must change to protect those with disabilities and our legislators must be held accountable to make these changes. We have to protect those with disabilities and not let the police (Virginia Beach Detective Jessica Hosang)/prosecutors (Colin Stolle, & Michael DeFricke)take advantage of them! They have stolen the music from my life!

Entire Washington Post link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/local/how-a-black-autistic-man-is-serving-10-years-in-prison-for-a-car-crash/2020/09/10/7f86aed2-5a58-475d-a806-3957ee3bdb2c_video.html?fbclid=IwAR2UcNCjCELk1F-3YuwQodKTyhoKSnEA0ASnuvNqfoAgDUwtEE1U3_B0Cpc

MEET MY SON MATTHEW RUSHIN: Matthew is a black, autistic twenty-two year old male who was & is still a model citizen even in prison. He beat all kinds of odds against him: black, autistic, ADHD, anxiety, a traumatic brain injury(TBI) in 2017 that left him comatose for several days, & which required rehabilitation in order for him to re-learn life functions, including walking & talking. A pituitary cyst was discovered during evaluation & treatment for the TBI. The single car accident which resulted in the TBI has left him with PTSD. Despite all of these challenges, Matthew graduated with honors from high school, was employed & was an engineering student at ODU. He participated in numerous volunteer activities. He is a gifted pianist, plays the viola beautifully, & he composes music and writes poems. Matthew was sentenced to 50 years (to serve 10) for a nonfatal, unintentional car accident involving no drugs or alcohol. If you are thinking there must be more to the story, there is. One of Matthew’s autistic processes is called Echolalia, which causes him to repeat words that he hears. After the car accident, Matthew stepped out of his car & was met by an angry driver who cursed at him and repeatedly yelled at him “are you f***ing trying to kill yourself?” In his distressed state, Matthew repeated these man’s words about suicide: words that were used to turn a car accident into a crime. Matthew was charged with 2nd degree murder with a claim that the accident was an intentional attempt to kill himself by deliberately driving head-on into another car. Officers did not exhibit any understanding of autism in their interpretations of Matthew’s comments and actions. Instead, they took advantage of his vulnerability as they handcuffed him, questioned him for nearly 4 hours at the scene, lied to him about evidence, isolated him from his family. A forensic engineer and traffic collision reconstructionist with 33 years’ experience has written a report detailing the ways the Commonwealth’s suicide determination as a cause for the accident is NOT a plausible explanation. Facing the terrifying prospect of a jury trial, Matthew was pressured to plead guilty to crimes he didn’t commit, led to believe it would allow him to go home. He was never properly treated or evaluated, and his health and disability were never properly considered. Today, Matthew sits in prison without an understanding of why he is there. Matthew and his family have immense compassion for the individuals wounded in the January 2019 car crash, especially the man with the most severe and sustaining injuries. Their thoughts are with these individuals daily. But Matthew is not a danger to society. He is highly vulnerable in the brutal prison environment as a man with a disability. And he faces the possibility of permanent blindness or even death due to an untreated brain cyst. Help Matthew's family bring him home. Ask Governor Northam to grant Matthew an Absolute Pardon and do whatever it takes to free him today!

************************* SAMPLE EMAIL************************** I am writing to you because I feel passionately that Matthew Rushin, a gentle young man with neurological processing differences that accompany autism spectrum disorder, should NOT be behind bars. Please review his case. A nonfatal car accident that involved NO drugs or alcohol, a young man with autism who has never before been in trouble with the law. This is someone who should NOT have been sentenced to 50 years and now spending a decade of his life in jail with violent offenders all because of a driving mistake. Furthermore, it is highly likely that the accident even occurred because of his losing consciousness due to a seizure. A forensic engineer and traffic collision reconstructionist with 33 years experience has written a report detailing the ways the commonwealth’s suicide determination as a cause for the accident is NOT a plausible explanation: https://neuroclastic.com/.../2020/06/rushin-engineer.pdf... This is also what Matthew repeatedly told officers during his interrogation, when he should have been receiving medical care. At the scene of the accident, Matthew repeated words that were screamed at him. Echolalia is a method many with autism use for processing situations. This involves them repeating what someone has said to them. Matthew did this, and he was convicted because of it, rather than for the actual facts of the case that illustrated it was indeed an unintentional car accident. Please review his case. He needs medical attention for the cyst on his brain. He is experiencing headaches and transient blindness, and his medical care for this is long overdue. Please do not let him die in jail. This young man has been criminalized and had his life destroyed. He has a history of being a model citizen prior to this accident - honors in high school, an engineering college student, a volunteer. He needs medical care for the cyst on his brain and is experiencing transient blindness and short term memory loss, further exacerbated by his recent assault in jail by another inmate. Please do what you can to help. Prison offers the VA community nothing in terms of betterment by keeping him locked up and potentially killing him because of lack of medical care and his vulnerability as a young man with disabilities in a brutal environment. Help his family bring him home. The injuries incurred to the victims involved, particularly the man with the most severe and sustaining injuries, are horrible. But the punishment is above and beyond inhumane and unproductive for Matthew Rushin to be sentenced to 50 years and serving 10 for a nonfatal car accident involving no drugs or alcohol.

******************************************************************************************* These are critical points: 1. Matthew was not taken for medical (and mental health evaluation) the evening of the crash. He has lost consciousness, had a prior serious brain injury, was banged up around the face and bleeding, was not making sense - yet, instead of taking him for evaluation and care, the police handcuffed and interrogated him for nearly 4 hours at the scene, then more at the police station (with lies and manipulation). He still has not had the physical evaluation he should have had that day - despite the fact that he has a cyst on his pituitary gland that was due evaluation the month he was jailed (19 months ago), AND he is having severe headaches, dizziness and temporary blindness. 2. Virginia Beach Police Department has a CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) program that is supposed to divert people with mental illness or in mental health crises to treatment rather than the criminal system. Not only did they not activate that team despite his history of PTSD, anxiety and his symptoms at the scene AND the fact that they were going to charge him with attempted 2nd degree murder on the basis of a suicide attempt (unfounded!), the woman how did much of the interrogation - which included lies about the evidence they had, and pretending that she was his friend - is a trainer for their CIT program. Further, suicidology must be determined by psychologist or psychiatrist. It was not - and wouldn't have been. They were able to maintain that charge, because after 7 months of jail, when Matthew was told that if he signed the plea deal, he could go home - that was his understanding - he signed it. From that point forward, the prosecutor, judge and press referred to the "fact" that he admitted he deliberately ran into the other car because he was trying to kill himself. Officer Hosang only has 12 hours of Autism training, it takes psychologists years undergraduate education, graduate education and a whole lot of certification to even be able to practice. Officer Hosang told Matthew as heard in the interrogation, she hopes to arrest and charge him. What CIT does that? Is that descalating the issue? Um.. no way! 3. Mental health services have not been provided. Medication for anxiety was provided after months, but not counseling/treatment. Matthew has not had the required neurology follow up for his conditions identified prior to his incarceration. 4. Matthew and his family have not been able to talk face to face for 19 months, let alone hug. This 20 year old autistic man who had just been in a very serious car accident and who was clearly physically impacted was not allowed the comfort of his family. His dad was at the scene for hours waiting to be allowed to see his son. He wasn't even told when they took Matthew away from the scene. Mr. Rushin found out 45 minutes later. 5. Matthew was ripped from his life on the basis of an unsubstantiated claim, denied his rights, taken advantage of and taken straight to prison for a charge that never should have been made. Yet when there is overwhelming evidence of all of the wrongdoing, he remains in prison. That is totally unbalanced. He was judged guilty on sight. But it is taking months to free him. This is so wrong. ________________________________________________________________________________ (1) GOVERNOR RALPH NORTHAM EMAIL: [email protected] CALL: (804) 786-2211 (2) COUNSEL TO GOVERNOR NORTHAM Legal Counsel Rita Davis [email protected] (3) Kelly Thomasson: Secretary of the Commonwealth EMAIL: [email protected] CALL: (804) 786-2441 Fax: 804-786-7441 (4) Tonya D. Chapman: Chair of the Virginia Parole Board EMAIL: [email protected] CALL: 804-674-3081 (5) PAROLE BOARD [email protected] (6) Brian Moran: Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Secretary CALL: Office: 804-786-5351 EMAIL: [email protected] (6) Mark R. Herring: Virginia Attorney General EMAIL: [email protected] CALL: (804)786-2071 ****************************************************************** (1) PETITION LINK: (DO NOT DONATE TO THE PETITION, ONLY SHARE) http://chng.it/gvNy5rJ77H

(2) GOFUNDME FOR LEGAL AND EXPERT FEES (ZERO THE TIP FEE: DO NOT ADD A TIP): we still need financial assistance! We appreciate everyone ❤️ https://gf.me/u/yjwwty

(3 PAYPAL: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Dance4Matthew

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#FREEMATTHEWRUSHIN CALL TO ACTION : please share share share

**THANK YOU TO ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED LOVE, SUPPORT AND PRAYERS AS WE FIGHT TO BRING MATTHEW HOME THIS INJUSTICE. I DONT WANT MATTHEW TO DIE IN PRISON.**

Matthew Rushin was sentenced to 50 years for a non fatal car accident. His autism was never taken into consideration. No drugs or alcohol involved just his words used against him. The VBPD turned a car accident into a crime so each officer can get promoted. How disgusting! This was racial profiling! This was illegitimate legal lynching!

Matthew Rushin's guilt was decided the moment the Virginia Beach Police stepped on to the scene of the January 4, 2019 accident. None of the 17 Virginia Beach officers followed their own standard operating procedures to transport an injured and mentally confused and distressed person for evaluation.

They did not exhibit any understanding of autism in their interpretations of Matthews comments and actions. Instead, they took advantage of his vulnerability as they handcuffed him, questioned him for nearly 4 hours at the scene, lied to him about evidence, isolated him from his family, charged him with 2nd degree murder with a claim that the accident was an intentional attempt to kill himself by deliberately driving head on into another car.

The facts don’t support this, including the totality of the victim and witness statements, Matthew’s behavior and statements, and the forensic evidence.

It took less than 6 hours for Matthew’s freedom, his reputation, his future to be stolen by Virginia Beach Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice System.

Please ask Governor Northam, to refuse to allow the “system” to steal any more days from Matthew. Ask Governor Northam to grant Matthew an Absolute Pardon and do whatever it takes to free him today!

Matthew turns 22 on August 4th, 2020.

*******************************************************************************************

These are critical points:

1. Matthew was not taken for medical (and mental health evaluation) the evening of the crash. He has lost consciousness, had a prior serious brain injury, was banged up around the face and bleeding, was not making sense - yet, instead of taking him for evaluation and care, the police handcuffed and interrogated him for nearly 4 hours at the scene, then more at the police station (with lies and manipulation). He still has not had the physical evaluation he should have had that day - despite the fact that he has a cyst on his pituitary gland that was due evaluation the month he was jailed (19 months ago), AND he is having severe headaches, dizziness and temporary blindness.

2. Virginia Beach Police Department has a CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) program that is supposed to divert people with mental illness or in mental health crises to treatment rather than the criminal system. Not only did they not activate that team despite his history of PTSD, anxiety and his symptoms at the scene AND the fact that they were going to charge him with attempted 2nd degree murder on the basis of a suicide attempt (unfounded!), the woman how did much of the interrogation - which included lies about the evidence they had, and pretending that she was his friend - is a trainer for their CIT program. Further, suicidology must be determined by psychologist or psychiatrist. It was not - and wouldn't have been. They were able to maintain that charge, because after 7 months of jail, when Matthew was told that if he signed the plea deal, he could go home - that was his understanding - he signed it. From that point forward, the prosecutor, judge and press referred to the "fact" that he admitted he deliberately ran into the other car because he was trying to kill himself.

Officer Hosang only has 12 hours of Autism training, it takes psychologists years undergraduate education, graduate education and a whole lot of certification to even be able to practice. Officer Hosang told Matthew as heard in the interrogation, she hopes to arrest and charge him. What CIT does that? Is that descalating the issue? Um.. no way!

3. Mental health services have not been provided. Medication for anxiety was provided after months, but not counseling/treatment. Matthew has not had the required neurology follow up for his conditions identified prior to his incarceration.

4. Matthew and his family have not been able to talk face to face for 19 months, let alone hug. This 20 year old autistic man who had just been in a very serious car accident and who was clearly physically impacted was not allowed the comfort of his family. His dad was at the scene for hours waiting to be allowed to see his son. He wasn't even told when they took Matthew away from the scene. Mr. Rushin found out 45 minutes later.

5. Matthew was ripped from his life on the basis of an unsubstantiated claim, denied his rights, taken advantage of and taken straight to prison for a charge that never should have been made. Yet when there is overwhelming evidence of all of the wrongdoing, he remains in prison. That is totally unbalanced. He was judged guilty on sight. But it is taking months to free him. This is so wrong.

________________________________________________________________________________

(1) Mark R. Herring: Attorney General