The Misfortunes of Steven Buckley

Steven Buckley

Steven Buckley – he’s the man who became the poster boy of police brutality in 2010 after he was shot to the head by a cop while he was sitting inside a parked vehicle off Fabers Road.  That incident left him with limited use of some of his limbs, and his long legal battles to get compensation from government are well documented in the media. More than three years after the shooting, he was compensated with one hundred thousand dollars as part of a package that involved additional money. But now, Buckley is completely broke. Earlier this week, he was taken to court after police found him with a small amount of weed, but he was sent to jail for monies owed from previous offenses. Fortunately for the man living with a disability caused by the police, Good Samaritans came to his rescue today. Andrea Polanco tonight revisits Buckley’s misfortune.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Buckley is so strapped for cash for he couldn’t pay three hundred and sixty dollars owed to the courts and he was remanded to prison. With the help from the public and an anonymous donor, the monies were paid and Buckley was released:

Steven Buckley, Released

“I feel happy inna way because people look out fu me and deh tek me outta jail and I appreciate weh deh do fi me. Deh look out fi me and I thank the people weh deh do fi me.”

Andrea Polanco

“Okay. So tell us what exactly landed you in jail. Why did they send you to jail?”

Steven Buckley

“Well, when I gone dah the court fi ah lee roach the judge say deh ker mi fi marijuana and the judge tell me that I owe fi two draw, fi wah lee weed. And the weed, between me and you ms lady, the weed dah only one inch and dah mi only fifty dollars each fi the two charge weh I mi get and all of ah sudden the charge gone way dah three hundred and odd dollars. I nuh know how it get deh but it gone deh. Pon the real.”

And it would seem that Buckley has earned the public’s sympathy:

Gilroy Usher Sr.

Gilroy Usher Sr, Good Samaritan

“When I saw the news, I was very upset. I know Mr Buckley because I have a business around here. Concerning the fact that some of the money from government is spending to him and I said that something could have been worked out for him. I said that we can’t let a brother who is down go down like this. I said I would help him so in the short space of time we raised about three hundred and fifty dollars. People gave small donation like five dollars, ten dollars and two dollars, so the show of support for him was overwhelming.”

And while Buckley has faced the brunt of the public attention, his common-law wife and their two sons have faced their own share of difficulties. Juanita says that Buckley has never been the same person after he was shot:

Juanita Juarez, Common-law-wife

Juanita Juarez

“Before life was not difficult for us because both of us were working, but now since he got this gunshot, it is a little hard for me; only me alone providing for the family.”

Andrea Polanco

“What kind of person was he like before he was injured?”

Juanita Juarez

“He was a hard working person; he can do anything for you. He would help in the house and with the kids but since he got the gun shot, he is not the Buckley I know. He is not the Buckley I know.”

Andrea Polanco

“What changes have you  seen, apart from him not being able to work; do you think the injury or the circumstances surrounding the incident has affected him mentally?”

Juanita Juarez

“Yes. Since he got the gun shot it has affected him. His brains, hands, everything. Before, his arm was perfect order but since the gun shot he couldn’t use his right arm for him to lift anything, it is difficult. Not only his arm, even his right foot. And his brain, you know like his head, he doesn’t think the way like he did before. He would do stuff that he shouldn’t do but when he remember all that, I know it’s from the gun shot.”

And while one may say that Buckley has already received one hundred thousand dollars and that he should be able to meet his obligations, the couple says it is not as black and white as the public may think:

Steven Buckley

“That’s done. I nuh wah tell you I got money outta it. I nuh got no more money outta it and sometimes I nuh know how I wah mek it fi deal with mi pickney deh. Due to mi wife di tek care ah mi landlord dah suh we survive and eat. We nuh have to go beg no body. Now and again I would beg mi friend Steven from over deh fi wah lee one, two.”

Andrea Polanco

“How difficult has it been for you?”

Steven Buckley

“Well, I can’t work again and that really bug me out and sometimes I sit down in my house and cry because I can’t do the hard work again weh I used to do. I nuh like di sit down and depend on people. I trip out bout that. Many ah days I sit down and trip bout that.”

Juanita Juarez

“ A hundred thousand dollars may sound like a million dollars, but it is not. Money- everything is expensive today. If you don’t know how to manage money, everything may go away quick. So people think that because he got one hundred thousand dollars that is a lot- no, we had bills to pay too and we needed things for the house. For them it is like he wasted the money or something. No.”

Andrea Polanco

“I know that a portion of his compensation is still pending. Tell us, what’s the status of that? Where are you guys with it?”

Juanita Juarez

“Because, as a mother you have a family and providing for your family alone is difficult. You have to spend more time doing things and without a husband it is hard to do so.”

Andrea Polanco

“I know that it is hard providing for your family and with Mr Buckley unable to work, but do you feel that you guys, since all of this happened, do you feel like you guys have been harassed or targeted by different people?”

Juanita Juarez

“Yes. Yes. I can remember all my life I was never harassed by police but after the accident, these people, these police men keep coming to our house and harassing us and say they are looking for guns and for drugs. We don’t sell those things. We are not drug dealers. We don’t keep those kinds of things. They keep harassing us every time and I am sick and tired of it.”

Andrea Polanco

“What has his state of mind been like since all of that happened? Does he, or has he ever mentioned to you that he is fearful or scared for his life? What has he been like in terms of that?”

Juanita Juarez

“Okay, he always tell me that he doesn’t trust the police men. I used to tell him don’t go far away from your house and make someone walk with you and don’t go alone. Yes. He is fearful. He is.”

Andrea Polanco

“ And you have two kids in school?”

Juanita Juarez

“Yes. We have two kids in school; one ten years old and one twelve years old. It is difficult for them because sometimes if they hear anything on the news about their father, it really bothers them. They say, ‘mommy, we feel shame fi go dah school today because people wah tell we about daddy and suh.’”

Andrea Polanco reporting for News Five.