Woman Alleges Mistreatment By Sheriff's Deputies at Bills Game
A woman suffering from a disability due to cancer alleges that she and other members of her support group were victims of mistreatment at Saturday's Buffalo Bills preseason game.
Brittany Carey, the woman in question, is not accusing the Bills of mistreatment, but rather members of the Erie County Sheriff's Office working the game.
Carey is a member of Kaely's Kindness Foundation, which provides resources to young women who are cancer patients and survivors. The group received suite-level tickets to Saturday's game, and Carey says she and her peers had enjoyed previous Bills games without issue. She adds that she and her friend Sydney Kresconko arrived at Highmark Stadium via limo-bus, as usual.
"Typically, we just get driven right up to the gate and get dropped off. And then the bus leaves, and then comes back at the end of the third quarter to pick us up," Carey said, per WGRZ.
All seemed to be going well when the parking attendant allowed the limo-bus through to the group's usual lot, until an Erie County Sheriff's Deputy stopped the vehicle. Despite the driver's pleas and citing the Americans With Disabilities Act, the deputy enforced a Bills policy that states, "Any bus or limo that shows up on the day of the game without an advanced purchase permit will be turned away." Carey said she was uncertain if the driver had a pass, but Kresconko believed he did.
Instead, the deputy directed the limo-bus to a spot nearly half a mile away. Carey has a disability involving damage to her knees and spine due to her cancer treatment, and another member of her group was in a wheelchair. Due to this, the walk to and from the stadium proved to be too much for Carey, and she alleges the deputies did nothing to help.
"And as I got back to the bus, I literally collapsed to the ground. I could not go anymore," Carey said.
"No one offered to help or give me a hand up. None of them said anything. They all just stood there with their arms crossed just staring as I laid on the ground crying."
Erie County Sheriff John Garcia caught wind of Carey's complaints, and vowed to "get to the bottom of this," and to create a better experience for Bills fans going forward.
"When I was made aware of this, let's just say I was not a happy Sheriff," Garcia told WGRZ. "We work very hard to provide quality customer service, and as an agency we pride ourselves in that. Hearing about something like this is both troubling and disturbing ...
"And to anyone attending the games, I would say if there is any confusion about where to park, contact the Sheriff's Office or the Bills, and we'll make sure to get you to the right spot."
Carey says that she is not speaking out to pursue damages or call for jobs, but to ensure those with disabilities are treated fairly.
"Disabled people deserve the right to enjoy entertainment just everybody else does," Carey said. "That's why the Americans with Disabilities Act is in place, so things like this don't happen, and so we don't have to feel like we are less than anyone else."
You can follow Jonathan Alfano on Twitter at @JonAlfano_News
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