Keeping to the blue code of silence, none of the officers spoke up in defense of Horne for fear of reprisals. She was ultimately hung out to dry.
Horne was fired two years after the incident, a year short of serving the necessary 20 years to qualify for a full police pension. In October 2020, she filed a lawsuit to restore her position as a police officer, with full payment of lost wages and benefits.
In September, the Buffalo Common Council passed ‘Cariol’s Law.’
Under the new law, when an officer fails to intervene in an incident that results in death or serious bodily injury, the incident would be turned over to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, which could lead to the officer’s termination.
‘Cariol’s Law’ should ensure that Horne’s own experience is not repeated but while her struggle may help to positively impact the future of policing, is yet to have her wrongful termination vacated.
“That is the goal because I never should have been fired,” she insisted. “But there was a particular officer who formulated this, ‘jump on the back’ scenario to say that I jumped on his back, which was impossible because we were face to face. And there was a suspect between us, you know? Eventually got fired — which she should have.
“It’s that code of silence that we have to like punch through. That blue wall of silence. The police union is a big part of the problem because they protect these officers who are rogue officers.
Despite the many setbacks, Horne remains optimistic that justice will ultimately prevail.
“Especially with what’s going on in the world today. George Floyd seems like it kind of brought it to a head because we watch for eight minutes and 46 seconds, while this officer murdered him. There should not even be a trial. If I had did that to an officer, I would have been gone that day. So there are some things that just shouldn’t be, and that definitely should never have happened. And, you know, hopefully it will never happen again.”
Horne is still in the courts battling for her hard-earned pension. For those who would like to donate to her efforts, you can do so by clicking here.
