Two Sides to the Story: Gouverneur Man Arrested for Choking Student Arraigned

GOUVERNEUR, NY – On April 2nd, 2009, Cleon Camidge, 19, of Gouverneur was arraigned for charges stemming from an incident at the Gouverneur High School on March 19th, 2009. This was Mr. Camidge’s first court appearance regarding these charges. The atmosphere of the court was not atypical, with Mr. Camidge recognizing the allegations against him, stating that he understood them. The charges: 3rd-Degree Criminal Trespassing, 2nd-Degree Harassment, and two counts Disorderly Conduct. They were read to Mr. Camidge with Town Justice Stanley Young presiding. The incident was then described as it was reported by the investigating officer.

Police allege that Camidge entered the Gouverneur High School without permission and, despite conspicuously placed warnings against trespassing, proceeded to a meeting that was taking place on the second floor. Furthermore, they indicated that in that meeting he grabbed Raymond J. McIntosh, 17, by the throat and that while being escorted from the building he made unreasonable noise.

Cleon Camidge’s story is a little different. In a post-arraignment interview he and his mother both expressed concern about having both sides of the story examined, wanting “the truth before you [the Gouverneur Times] put it in there.” Mr. Camidge claims that he entered the school a little after 3:15 P.M. to attend a North Country Adolescent Outreach meeting. He had attended NCAO meetings while a student at Gouverneur High School and, with his work schedule now conducive, had intended to resume attending those meetings. “My sister called to make sure I could [go]…that she would be bringing me and the baby” alleges Camidge, saying that he had called an administration official after the incident, who told him that he had neglected to sign in, to which Mr. Camidge replied “there was no one to sign in with, school was out of session.” Cleon believes this to simply to be a matter of miscommunication, and surmises that perhaps the administration official and his sister had spoken to different people concerning his attendance of the NCAO meeting.

After entering the building Mr. Camidge proceeded to the NCAO meeting on the second floor of the building. Upon entering the room he found that Raymond J. McIntosh was in a verbal dispute with two female minors. Cleon Camidge stated that Mr. McIntosh “was…arguing with her, right up in her face, swearing at her, screaming at her…then her sister told him to stay out of it, so he got in her face and started swearing at her.” Then, as indicated by Mr. Camidge and confirmed in depositions, Mr. McIntosh responded to one of the girls using a racial slur, whereupon Mr. Camidge reacted in defense his friend, who is reportedly involved with a relative of Cleon Camidge. In an account filed by Sgt. Mark H. Ashley, as well as in witness depositions, it was at this point that Mr. Camidge grabbed Mr. McIntosh by the throat, “causing redness.”

Cleon Camidge soon left the room and claims he was leaving the building when, he says, a teacher asked him to remove himself and the child he had with him from the premises. The teacher allegedly told Camidge that she would have to call the NCAO meeting off. Camidge responded by telling her to “…mind [her] own business,” and, following further conversation, left the premises.

Gouverneur Village Police had arrested Camidge on the evening of March 25th, 2009 in connection with the incident, which occurred on March 19th, 2009. The arrest itself was indicated in reports to have taken place on West Barney Street in the Community Bank parking lot. “The…paper said that I had got arrested at the school at 9, but,” says Camidge, “I didn’t get arrested at the school [or Community Bank]. It said in the paper that I had got disorderly conduct for swearing at the police officer.” Mr. Camidge claims that his mother had notified him, while he was at work on Wednesday, March 25th, that the Gouverneur Village Police had issued the charges.

Mr. Camidge provided a description of the evening he was officially detained: “I got done with work early because I had to go to the emergency room.” Cleon Camidge stressed to the Gouverneur Times. “After I got done at the emergency room…I went in [to the Village Police Department] and everything. I went in on my own.”

Gouverneur Village Police made an additional arrest on the night of March 25th, 2009 in connection with the incident. Stephanie L. McIntosh, 35, of Gouverneur, mother of Raymond J. McIntosh, was charged with Disorderly Conduct for, according to police, using abusive and obscene language outside the Gouverneur High School in the presence of both teachers and students and acting in a threatening manner.  She was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Gouverneur Court on April 16th, 2009 at 4:00 pm.