LOCKPORT, N.Y. — On Wednesday, City of Lockport residents raised their voices and aired their frustrations with city council members regarding a resolution brought to the table to effectively discontinue an appeal related to the 2019 death of 39-year-old Troy Hodge following a fatal altercation with Lockport Police.
Fatima Hodge, Troy's mother, her family, friends and fellow neighbors took to the podium to share tears and anger with members of the council about the way the city has handled Troy's death from the very beginning.
Ms. Hodge recalled what she calls a "nightmare" in front of the packed room saying she called 911 when she saw her mentally distressed son approaching her house to check on her.
"A mother knows her child. I said, 'Troy, I got you some help. I never thought I wouldn't see my baby again. The police took my son. They made a mistake, they made a mistake," Hodge expressed.
Several other members of the Lockport community stood up in clear opposition of the resolution and of Councilman Mark Devine, who proposed it, calling the idea "inappropriate" and "insensitive" and ultimately urging the rest of the council to vote no.
But when it came to resolution number ten, Devine withdrew it from the agenda before a vote was even necessary, which was met by a round of applause by members of the community.
Back in March 2021, New York State Attorney General Leticia James' office released findings connected to the June 2019 death of 39-year-old Troy Hodge which stated that her office found "insufficient evidence to establish that a crime had been committed by any of the responding offices from the Lockport Police Department and the Niagara County Sheriff's Office."
While AG James' office says there may not have been a crime, there is work to be done when it comes to quality policing and conduct in the Lockport Police Department.
The state's findings stated, "The actions of some of the officers raised serious concerns and should not go unaddressed. By narrowly tailoring the 'Use of Force' policy and training law enforcement to recognize signs of distress as a medical emergency, we can lessen the risk associated with high-stress situations such as the one we are addressing today."
Fatima Hodge hopes for the same.
After departing from the podium, she expressed the need for police officers to be trained and for mental health to be appropriately addressed to ensure tragedies like her son's do not continue to happen.
Three of the four police officers involved in this case are still not back on duty, the fourth officer was reportedly fired for unrelated matters.