An 85-year-old Gates woman kicked off Amtrak with 95-year-old sister says police video confirms their story
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Monday, Mary Scherzi watched the police body camera video when she and her 95-year-old sister were kicked off an Amtrak train 500 miles away from their home.
Charlottesville, Virginia police have denied our request to see the body camera video, but they showed it to Scherzi and she says it confirms her story.
Here’s what happened: Mary and her sister Angie Capone were on an Amtrak train coming back home from a wedding in New Orleans. They say an Amtrak conductor called police on them after they were playing cards early one morning in the club car.
The conductor accused Scherzi of being drunk and belligerent. Scherzi says when the train stopped in Charlottesville, police came onboard the train and gave her this choice: leave the train or go to jail.
Monday, Mary Scherzi watched the police body camera video when she and her 95-year-old sister were kicked off an Amtrak train 500 miles away from their home.
Brean: “After you watched the body camera video, did it change the way you feel about what happened to you?”
Scherzi: “No. Not at all. It made me feel even more angry because I thought why didn’t I get more defensive? Why didn’t I stick up for my rights? Should I have gone to jail to prove I wasn’t guilty? It happened so fast.”
Brean: “Have you heard anything from Amtrak yet?”
Scherzi: “Not a word, except when I called them last week, they told me that my complaint will be answered in the order it was received.”
Scherzi says the body worn video captured the police officer questioning the conductor about her allegations against Scherzi.
Scherzi: “The police officer turned to her and said, you called us in on this because you said there was a drunken woman, obnoxious and in your face.”
Brean: “Did it appear that the police officer was questioning the conductor and her truthfulness?”
Scherzi: “Yes.”
Amtrak told me it doesn’t comment on customer complaints.
Scherzi says the police video shows the police were helpful when she and her sister left the train.
Charlottesville Police told me video that is part of an internal investigation is never made public.