Patti Saylor to be honored nationally for advocacy

by Danielle E. Gaines from The Frederick News-Post: 
Patti Saylor will be honored with the National Down Syndrome Society's Advocate of the Year award at an event in Washington later this month, the group announced Friday.
Saylor, of New Market, advocated for her son Ethan all his life, but took on a new role after his death.Ethan Saylor, 26, died in January 2013 while he was being forcibly removed from a Frederick movie theater by three off-duty sheriff's deputies.
Since Ethan Saylor's death, Patti Saylor and her family have advocated for changes in police training and for better inclusion policies, among other things.
“I'm very honored,” Patti Saylor said Friday about the award. “I think the night will be a little difficult. It will be bittersweet because of the reason.”
In September, Gov. Martin O'Malley created the Maryland Commission for Effective Community Inclusion of Individuals with Intellectual and Development Disabilities in response to Saylor's death.
The commission aims to improve first responder training and will recommend statewide training standards.

Mom of Man with Down syndrome talks about his death in Maryland Cinema

by Jeremy Meyer from The Denver Post:
Ethan Saylor simply wanted to see a movie one more time.
The Frederick, Md., man had just watched "Zero Dark Thirty" in a theater inside a mall and wanted to see it again.
Saylor, 26, had Down syndrome — a genetic condition that impairs physical growth and intelligence. His condition was likely apparent to the off-duty sheriff's deputies working at the mall on Jan. 12 who were called to remove Saylor because he hadn't paid for another ticket. But those deputies clearly didn't know how to help Saylor work through the issue.
Saylor's aide told them to wait it out. His mother was on the way and he just needed some time. She warned them not to touch Saylor, who could quickly become agitated.
Saylor's mother now believes her son was desperately trying to use his iPhone to figure out how to buy another movie ticket. He didn't carry cash.