batavia

A two-vehicle accident is reported at 105 W. Main St., Batavia.

Traffic is blocked, but no injuries are reported.

City fire and Mercy EMS responded. Batavia PD on scene.

Reader Don Norton shared this picture from a fender-bender accident this morning about 11 o'clock on Clinton Street near Aldi's.

Duane A. Mather, 44, of Raymond Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: third-degree burglary -- illegal entry with intent to commit a crime; petit larceny; fifth-degree conspiracy; providing a false written statement; and possession of burglar tools. Mather was arrested at 1:38 a.m. on June 26 on West Main Street in Batavia after police responded to a report of people breaking into a storage cooler at Arby's. He was jailed without bail and was due in Batavia City Court this morning (June 29). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Jason Ivison.

Charles D. Macey, 37, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: third-degree burglary; fifth-degree conspiracy; petit larceny; fourth-degree criminal mischief; and possession of burglar tools. Macey was arrested at 1:38 a.m. on June 26 on West Main Street in Batavia after police responded to a report of people breaking into a storage cooler at Arby's. He was jailed without bail and was due in Batavia City Court this morning (June 29). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

Grayson Bud Ground, 18, of Skye Road, Alabama, is charged with second-degree assault. He was arrested at 5 a.m. June 24 on Shanks Road in Alabama after he allegedly struck a male in the face, causing the male to suffer a broken jaw. He was arraigned on June 27 in Alabama Town Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. An order of protection was also issued in this matter. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Chad Minuto, assisted by Deputy James Diehl.

Leaddice J. Daniels, 41, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny. Daniels was arrested on June 26 after allegedly stealing a wallet containing several credit and debit cards at 10:03 p.m. on June 22 on Ellicott Street in Batavia. The defendant was jailed without bail and was due in City Court on June 27. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Stephanie Wentworth, 31, of Augusta Street, Rochester, is charged with third-degree menacing and endangering the welfare of a child less than 17 years of age. Wentworth turned herself in June 26 on a warrant issued after a domestic incident that occurred at 9 a.m. on June 18 at the Bob Evans restaurant on Oak Street in Batavia. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Robert R. Gerety, 44, of Elm Street, Batavia, is charged with: moving from lane unsafely; aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree; and DWI -- first offense. Officers were called to the scene of a rollover accident involving a single vehicle at 10:09 p.m. on June 20 at 204 Richmond Ave., Batavia. After investigation, charges were pressed against Gerety. He was due in City Court June 28. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Nicole McGinnis.

Stephen J. Turkasz, 26, of Claudette Court, Cheektowaga, is charged with first-degree criminal contempt. He allegedly threatened to harm a person protected under an orpder of protection during a phone call on the night of June 8. He was arraigned and released and is due back in court on July 18. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jamie Givens.

Michael Richard Ostrander, 52, of Middle Road, Collins, is charged with first-degree possession of dangerous contraband in prison and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Ostrander was charged with the crimes for allegedly possessing an unprescribed controlled substance while being an inmate in Genesee County Jail in December. He appeared in City of Batavia Court on June 27 to answer the charges. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Diehl.

Nathan E. Hinze, 24, of Clifton Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larency. He was arrested following an investigation of a shoplifting incident at the Kwik Fill on Jackson Street in Batavia in which he allegedly took a bottle of water without paying for it. He was issued an appearance ticket for July 11 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Aria D. Rodriguez, 21, of Hudson Avenue, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. It is alleged that at 11:15 a.m. on June 27 on West Main Street in Batavia that she had an amount of marijuana on her at the time of her arrest for a separate incident. She was issued an appearance ticket for June 28 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jamie Givens, assisted by Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Aria D. Rodriguez, 21, of Hudson Avenue, Rochester, is charged with: speeding; being an unlicensed operator; and aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree. She was arrested on June 27 on an arrest warrant for failing to appear in court for traffic tickets. She was jailed in lieu of $500 bail and was due back in court on June 28. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jamie Givens.

A 17-year-old who resides on Washington Avenue in Batavia is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The defendant was arrested this morning at 1:11 (June 29) during a traffic stop on West Main Street, Batavia, after an officer allegedly located an amount of marijuana in a vehicle that the youth was operating. The youth was issued a computer-generated appearance ticket and is due in City Court on July 11. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Try the Y in July! Stop in at the Genesee County YMCA and try the Y in the month of July!

Starting July 1st when an individual mentions this promotion they will receive a Class Pass to try any of our group exercise classes five times for free! If an individual uses all five punches on their pass card and decides to join the YMCA, we will waive their Joining Fee as well (a savings up to $75).

The YMCA also offers scholarships to help subsidize membership dues for individuals and families who qualify. If you have any questions, contact Josh Bender at 585-344-1664 or jbender@glowymca.org.

The Batavia Concert Band opened its 2017 season Wednesday evening in Centennial Park with John Bailey conducting.

The season continues with outdoor concerts at the park every Wednesday at 7 p.m. through Aug. 9.

 Ann Marie Capuano

A Montclair Avenue resident who was caught in the act of burglarizing a business on State Street Road, Batavia, in April, entered a guilty plea in County Court on Wednesday to a Class E felony of attempted burglary.

The plea deal gives Ann Capuano, 32, a chance to complete a substance abuse program and have her conviction reduced.

In April, Capuano entered the business on State Street Road and when confronted by the owner and an employee, brandished a knife. She then fled on a bicycle and was apprehended by a police a short time later.

Enter terms of the plea, Capuano was released under supervision so she could be transferred from jail to a residential rehabilitation program in Buffalo.

She will also be evaluated for a program called a judicial diversion, which could have her case transferred to Drug Court.

She is scheduled to appear in County Court again July 24 for a hearing on her potential eligibility for judicial diversion.

Daniel J. Gilbert, 25, of Tracy Avenue in Batavia, was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to four years in prison and five years parole for his part in an attack on residents of Central Avenue.

In the beginning of May, Gilbert was supposed to be sentenced on a guilty plea, but after a disagreement between the attorneys on the case, the matter was postponed. 

Gilbert was part of the  attack that occurred around 11 p.m. on Oct. 28 in an apartment on Central Avenue in Batavia, that involved several people, resulting in at least two people being treated and released at the hospital.

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said in court, that they were adjusting the prior agreement made on Feb. 8.

“We have an agreement to clarify or modify our prior agreement,” Friedman said. “That is that the defendant’s plea to attempted burglary in the second degree, a Class D felony, will stand.”

Friedman said they also agreed to an imposed sentence of four years, with five years of post-release supervision.

He was charged with the crime of first-degree burglary, a Class B felony. Gilbert was accused of knowingly entering an upper apartment on Central Avenue in Batavia, with the intent to commit a crime, and when entering or fleeing from the dwelling, he or other participants caused physical injury to a person.

In count two, Gilbert was accused of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony. Gilbert caused physical injury to a person.

Think you may have a Workers’ Compensation claim? The next steps:

Your physical well-being is the top priority after being involved in any type of accident. If you are involved in an accident, you should seek medical attention immediately and report all of your physical symptoms to your medical provider.

Next, you should make efforts to gather any information that could assist you in establishing your claim. You should gather names and contact information for anyone that may have witnessed the accident and file a police accident report.

Lastly, contact a lawyer a soon as possible, as there are certain type of claims that require paperwork to be filed within a certain amount of time. All initial legal consultations with the attorneys at Dolce Panepinto are free and, in most circumstances, you will not be charged any fees unless you recover money from the negligent party in your case.

If you think you have a claim, call us at 585-815-9003 for your free consultation.

A customer intervened this morning when an apparent shoplifter attempting to make off with a cart full of tools at Home Depot tried to load them into his vehicle.

The suspect reportedly struck one person with the vehicle -- no word on injuries -- and also hit two other cars while fleeing the scene.

The suspect vehicle was later located on the Thruway by State Police, but the suspect has not yet been located.

The incident was reported at 9:52 a.m., at Home Depot, 4181 Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia.

Several items were recovered and the Sheriff's Office is continuing its investigation.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today announced $236,072 in federal funding for the City of Batavia Fire Department. The grant was awarded through the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, which is designed to help first responders improve their capability to respond to fires and emergencies of all types.

“The AFG program helps community fire departments access federal funding to protect their members and keep the communities they serve safe,” Congressman Chris Collins said. “This is an excellent and prudent use of federal money and it provides a tremendous service to communities here in New York’s 27^th Congressional District.

"I was proud to work with the City of Batavia Fire Department to secure this $236,072 in AFG funding and thank them for the selfless service they provide.”

The City of Batavia Fire Department will use this $236,072 federal grant to purchase 25 Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) air packs. This will provide the City of Batavia Fire Department with breathable air when responding to an emergency situation.

“This important grant funding will help us purchase equipment that will keep our firefighters safe and allow them to better protect the City of Batavia and surrounding communities,” said Stefano Napolitano, chief of the City of Batavia Fire Department.

“We appreciate Congressman Collins efforts on behalf of our local first responders and look forward to continuing to work with him to secure important grant funding for our department in the future.”

The AFG Grant Program provides direct funding assistance to fire departments, State Fire Training Academies, and non-affiliated EMS organizations to enhance their response capabilities and to more effectively protect the health and safety of both the public and emergency response personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards.

The Sheriff's Office is investigating a single-vehicle accident that was reported about 1 a.m. at 2964 Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road, Batavia.

The driver, Kevin Veazey, 37, of Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road, was transported by Mercy EMS to Erie County Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Veazey's 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Pickup truck went off the roadway and hit a culvert. 

The Sheriff's Office reports that charges are pending.

Town of Batavia fire also responded to the scene.

Batavia, and specifically, the Batavia Industrial Center, is featured in a story out today in "Wired Magazine."

How a 1950s egg farm hatched the modern startup incubator

The article contrasts the Silicon Valley ethos of using incubators to find the next unicorn (companies with a valuation of at least $1 billion), companies that often disrupt (or damage) community-based businesses, against the original goal, and still the goal, of the BIC -- to nurture Batavia-based businesses that employ local people.

But the world’s first business incubator cared less about disrupting the global economy than about resuscitating its local one. It still does, in fact. Fifty-eight years later, the Batavia Industrial Center still operates in the same location and under the same defiantly local mandate. “Our job here is to help people create businesses and jobs in Batavia,” says Tom Mancuso, who now manages the facility.

A pedestrian has been struck in the parking of Home Depot on Veterans Memorial Drive.

Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy EMS responding.

Law enforcement is on scene.

UPDATE: The suspect vehicle left the scene. Police are looking for a red four-door Nissan, Virginia plates, which may have been heading to the Thruway. The driver is described as black and wearing a blue shirt and blue shorts.

Derrick M. Williams, 27, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with: second-degree menacing; endangering the welfare of a child; and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Williams was arrested following an incident at 4:08 p.m. on June 21 at 7 Willow St., Batavia, wherein he allegedly threatened multiple people with knives. He was jailed without bail and was due in City Court on June 22. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

Elizabeth A. Denise, 36, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. On June 25, Batavia police responded to Hutchins Street for a possible overdose. They found that Denise had allegedly gone unconscious while using an unknown drug and while being the sole caregiver to an 8-month-old infant. She was transported to UMMC and issued an appearance ticket for the charge. She is due in City Court on July 11. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Kevin DeFelice.

Douglas G. Bryant Jr., 46, of Pringle Avenue, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree harassment. On June 19, Bryant was arrested after allegedlt yelling and swearing outside his residence at 10:05 p.m. on June 19 and he allegedly threatened police. He was jailed on $500 cash or bond and was due back in City Court on June 20. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Kyle J. Burdick, 28, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a hypodermic needle and third-degree unlicensed operation. Burdick was arrested on the charges after an investigation into a traffic complaint which occurred at 6:17 p.m. on June 24 at 600 Ellicott St. in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket for City Court on July 11, and was issued a traffic citation returnable to City Court on July 12. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Thomas A. Carson, 41, of Wood Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt and second-degree burglary of a dwelling. Carson was arrested after an investigation into a domestic incident which occurred at 9:54 p.m. on June 24 on Wood Street. He was jailed without bail and was due in City Court on Monday (June 26). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Mitchell Cowen.

Pamela J. Morris, 38, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. Morris was arrested following an investigation into a complaint alleging that she sent Facebook messages on June 21 to a protected party in violation of a court order. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in City Court on July 11. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Robert D. Griffin Sr., 38, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. On June 21, Batavia police responded to a Manhattan Avenue residence for a domestic incident and the violation of an order of protection. Upon the patrols' arrival, Griffin Sr. had left the area. While patrols were on scene, he returned and was arrested. He was jailed on $5,000 bail or bond. He was due in City Court on June 22. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins.

Robert D. Griffin Sr., 38, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment and fourth-degree criminal mischief. He was arrested following an investigation into an incident wherein he allegedly struck a person and broke some property at 9:36 p.m. on June 20 on Manhattan Avenue, Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket for City Court on June 21. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Stephanie Marie Wentworth, 31, of Augusta Street, Rochester, is charged with third-degree menacing and endangering the welfare of child less than 17. Wentworth turned herself in on a warrant charging her with these crimes, which stem from a domestic incident that occurred at 9 a.m. on June 18 at the Bob Evans restaurant on Oak Street in Batavia. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison, assisted by Felicia DeGroot.

Brandon J. March, 32, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt and second-degree burglary -- illegal entry of a dwelling. He was arrested following an incident wherein he allegedly entered a residence on Cone Street in Batavia occupied by an individual who had an order of protection against him. He was due in City Court on June 23. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Marc Lawrence, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Jacy William Lennon, 41, of Rohr Street, Rochester, is accused of failure to appear in court. He was arrested on June 24 on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear for a scheduled court date related to an unspecified incident which occurred on Aug. 14, 2015. He was jailed on $2,000 cash or $4,000 bond and was due in court Monday (June 26). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kevin DeFelice, assisted by Officer Marc Lawrence.

William Allen Andrews III, 37, of Lake Street, Le Roy, was arrested at Genesee Justice on West Main Street, Batavia, at 10:05 a.m. on June 20 after allegedly failing to comply with the conditions of his being released from custody. He was jailed on $5,000 bail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Press release:

In recognition of the summer outdoor cooking season, City of Batavia Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano along with Fire Prevention Officer, Lieutenant Greg Ireland, and the City of Batavia Fire Department would like to remind all residents of several grilling fire safety tips.

Statistics

·       Grill fires cause an estimated $37 million dollars in property loss each year.

·       Almost half of home grill fires occur between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m.

·       57 percent of home grill fires occur during the months of May, June, July and August.

·       Patios, terraces, porches and courtyards are the leading home locations for grill fires.

·       79 percent of all home grill fires involve gas grills.

·       Mechanical failure/malfunctions is the leading cause of gas grill fires while grease buildup is the second leading cause.

General Safety

Grills must be used outdoors. Use of grills indoors or in any enclosed spaces such as tents, garages, etc., pose both a fire hazard and risk of exposure to toxic gases and potential asphyxiation.

• Position the grill 15 feet away from siding, deck railing, other combustibles, and out from eaves or overhanging vegetation.
• Place the grill a safe distance from lawn games, play areas and foot traffic.
• Keep children and pets away from the grill area -- declare a 3-foot "safe zone" around the grill.
• Put out several long-handled grilling tools to give the chef plenty of clearance from heat and flames.
• Periodically remove grease or fat buildup in trays below the grill so it cannot be ignited by heat.
• Never leave grills unattended. 

Charcoal Grills

• Only use approved charcoal lighter fluid for starting the grill.
• Never use gasoline or flammable liquids to light charcoal.
• Do not add lighter fluid to coals that have already been ignited.
• Keep unused charcoal dry. Wet charcoal becomes a fire hazard as it dries out through the process of spontaneous combustion.
• Before disposing of charcoal ashes, allow them to cool thoroughly. Keep them either in the grill or in a metal container until cool, then stir the ashes before disposal to make sure they are completely out.

Liquid Propane (LP) Gas Grills

• Inspect the gas cylinder hose and connections for leaks before using the grill for the first time each year.
• Apply a light soap and water solution to the hose and all connections; any leaks will be quickly revealed in the form of bubbles.
• If you discover a leak either by smell or by the soap test and there is no flame, turn off the gas tank valve and the grill. If the leak stops, have the grill serviced by a professional before using it again. If the leak does not   stop, call the fire department.
• Be sure to open the lid of your gas grill before lighting.
• If you smell gas while cooking or see any fire outside the grill box, immediately get away from the grill and call the fire department. DO NOT attempt to move the grill.

As always, If a resident has any questions or concerns regarding any of these tips, they can contact the City of Batavia Fire Department Headquarters at 585-345-6375.

Press release:

Verona Avenue will close on Wednesday, June 28, between the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

While work is being performed in this area, the roadway will be closed to all through traffic. Local traffic will be permitted to and from their residence/property but should plan accordingly for delays.

All residents within the work area are asked not to park on the roadway during the day.

This is weather-dependent work. If work is postponed it will progress on the next work day.

Please, plan accordingly and contact the Bureau of Maintenance with any questions.

Thank you for your cooperation in advance.

    Jason Lang

It wasn't really an overdose that killed Jason Lang, said his father Rick, but Jason's five-year battle with the dragon of drug addiction came to an end about 6:30 p.m., Saturday, when the 33-year-old local businessman stuck a needle in his arm and shot who knows what into his bloodstream.

Until State Police investigators receive lab results or the Medical Examiner produces an autopsy report, we won't know what substance Jason Lang injected in the final minutes of his life.

"Whoever gave that to Jason, whoever sold that to Jason, murdered him," Rick Lang said. "They plain out murdered him. I want that in the paper. They killed my son."

Rick and Jason both returned to their house in Batavia about 6 p.m., Saturday, Rick said. They grabbed the mail, and each took their portion and Jason said he was going downstairs and would be right back up. Rick said he sorted through his mail, opened a couple of bills, and then a friend stopped by and they chatted for a few minutes, then Rick started cooking supper.

He heard what sounded like the toilet flushing a few times, or the water going off and on, so he called down to Jason, and there was no answer. He went down the stairs a bit, called again, no answer. He went down into the bathroom and Jason was slumped over the bathroom vanity.

"He already looked a little bit, not the right color," Rick said. "I grabbed him and I shook him. He was still warm. I said, 'Jason Jason,' and I tried to wake him. He didn't respond. So I cradled him under his arms and lowered to the floor. I could see it in his eyes. They were blank looking. I said, 'my God, Jason, you're gone.' You know that's what I thought right away, 'you're gone. Buddy, what did you do?' "

Rick stood up and called 9-1-1.

"I see a syringe laying in the sink with the cap more than three-fourths full," Rick said. "It was like maybe a smidgen (used). Even the investigator said, 'My God, he didn't get hardly anything into him.'"

For years, Jason Lang ran a successful cab company in Batavia, Batavia Cab. He thought he was doing pretty good for himself, so he decided to expand his business interests, so he opened a smoke shop and tattoo parlor, the Laughing Buddha, on Ellicott Street.

This was right about the time synthetic marijuana and another class of synthetic drugs, often known as bath salts, were hitting the market. The drugs fell into a legal gray area, where they weren't controlled substances, but might be considered analogs to hard drugs including methamphetamine and cocaine. 

Seeing a business opportunity, Lang started selling the compounds in his shop.

At that time, he said in an interview last August, he had never used hard drugs.

After the State Police raided his store, he said, the store closed down and he lost $200,000 in inventory. He said he became depressed and bath salts, such as Amped, were easy to get at a new store that opened at 400 Ellicott St., the 420 Emporium.

In the spring and summer of 2012, synthetic drugs were a big story in Batavia. There were multiple reports of users engaging in bizarre behavior while high on bath salts. Jason was one of the users making the news, not just in Batavia, but throughout the region. His paranoia led to false reports of gunshots at a local hotel, of confrontations with law enforcement, and tales he told to local reporters of government conspiracies against him.

The mess her son was in drove Nicole Lang and her supporters to stage protests outside the 420 Emporium, which was part of a Rochester chain that was eventually raided and shut down by federal authorities.

Those law enforcement actions seem to have come too late for Jason Lang.

He switched to heroin. 

To support his habit, he started shoplifting. He hit big chain stores. When he reached the point where he had been banned from all the stores in Genesee County, he branched out to Erie County, Orleans County, and Ontario County, in an effort to never get charged with anything more than a petit larceny.

It wasn't long though before he had run out of stores to hit in the neighboring counties, and desperate, he returned to Ontario County.

Rick said local authorities have told him the District Attorney and judges there are particularly tough on petty criminals, that they often sentence people to 90 days in jail for petit larceny.

Jason returned to stores where he was previously banned, stole merchandise, and was charged with felony burglaries. He was sentenced to more than three years in prison.

That's just wrong, Rick said. He pointed to court clerks who stole more than $100,000; attorneys who embezzled more than $75,000; an official in Le Roy who took tens of thousands of dollars from his organization.  

They all got off with probation, what Rick considers a "slap on the wrist."

Yet, Jason, whom Rick said never got away with more than $5,000 aggregate in all his thefts, was given a multiyear prison term.

The justice system, he said, isn't treating drug addiction for what it is, a disease, but it's the users -- not the dealers, he said, not the embezzlers -- who are getting the harshest sentences.

"These people (the embezzlers) are not sick," Rick said. "These people are mentally alert, have no illness and they know exactly what they're doing. You know, it's greed. The justice system is wrong in the way they handle these cases."

While Rick is unhappy with how a local parole officer handled his son's case, contributing, he thinks, to the difficulty of Jason's recovery, he has nothing but praise for the State Police and Sheriff's Office.

Both troopers and deputies have been to the Lang household a couple of times in recent months. The first time, after Jason overdosed on, probably, cocaine, and then again a few weeks ago when he was hallucinating on bath salts.

The troopers and deputies helped save Jason's life those times, and on Saturday, it was a trooper who took over CPR from Rick once he arrived on scene.

"The state troopers, they are very gentleman-like, very professional, and the deputies, too," Rick said. "Very professional."

Rick Lang knows his son was an addict and he struggled with his addiction. Both father and son knew how dangerous that was.

On Father's Day, Jason wrote in his diary, "A great Father's Day. Feeling very blessed. Life has thrown me a lot of curve balls and I've survived through many storms. I recently had another drug overdose. I shouldn't be alive. But somehow I am still here."

Rick doesn't want people to remember his son as the drug addict. He wants Jason to be remembered as a small businessman who cared about his community and cared about people.

"He had a heart of gold," Rick said. "He loved all types of people. He loved law enforcement. He respected law enforcement. He respected people that were down and out and he'd run to help them. Like I said before, when he had Batavia Cab, many times some of his employees were low-income people, didn't have anything, and he'd buy the Christmas gifts and give them to the parents as a gift to each other for Christmas. He was that kind of guy."

In prison, Jason came to the aid of a young black prisoner who was being bullied by a white supremacist gang member. 

"He (the gang member) told him to get on his knees and that's when Jason stepped in and said, 'hey, knock it off,'" Rick said. "'Leave him alone. You know he's scared to death and that he's only a kid.'"

The white supremacist accused Jason of not sufficiently loving his own race, of being an (expletive deleted) lover. Jason said he didn't care about race, but mostly he didn't believe in picking on people and hurting them.

When the prisoners were back in line to head back to their cells, the gang member stabbed Jason in the leg with a pencil, breaking it off in his leg. There was a tussle, and the gang member ended up getting hauled off by the guards.

Jason Lang will receive a Mass of Christian burial at Resurrection Parish, 18 Ellicott St., Batavia, at 9:30 a.m., Friday. Calling Hours are Thursday (full obituary).

His family announced on Facebook today that Grab-A-Cab, the new cab company Jason started after he was released from prison, is being shut down.

Rick is sure Jason didn't want to die. His addiction scared him. He had recently started attending church and was moving toward a deeper spiritual bond with Jesus, Rick said. He said he told Jason if he wanted to save himself from his addiction, he needed to turn to Jesus. He's convinced Jason was headed in that direction. He said that if Jason had known what was in that needle, whatever it was, he never would have shot up knowing it would kill him.

Jason loved his family, Rick said. He loved his son, Lathan. Rick, Jason, and Lathan had been enjoying the spring and summer together fishing.

"He was just a damn good guy," Rick said. "You know, the addiction, that didn't make him a bad guy. He was a very good father. He loved his kid and his kid loved him."

Rick said he was mainly willing to talk about his son's death because he hopes maybe it will save some other parent the heartbreak he's been through. Something has got to be done about the drug epidemic hitting hard both in Genesee County and nationally, he said, but maybe if people know the story of people like Jason, it will help.

It was only near the end of our conversation that Rick Lang started to tear up.

"I hope to get my life back trying to find happiness," Rick said. "It's hard to find happiness when you lose someone that close to your heart. I'm proud of my son. I want to put that in the paper. I'm proud of him. He was one of my best friends. Ever. Now I don't have him. So, I hope. I hope."

Below, a poem Jason Lang wrote about heroin and a copy of his Father's Day diary entry.

A former Batavia High School student, a 2000 graduate, who joined the Marines and then returned to Western New York to become a Rochester police officer, is home with his family tonight, recovering from a wound sustained from a gunshot near his face.

Jeremy Nash was driving when a gunshot came flying into an unmarked patrol car on North Street near Clifford Avenue. 

He served in the Iraq Freedom and Enduring Freedom operations, is an 11-year veteran of RPD, and the father of a baby girl.

(Video by our news partner, 13WHAM.)