Fallen Montclair Student's Memorial Removed

Fallen Montclair Student's Memorial Removed

Deshon Johnson's mother Naomi speaks out after her son's memorial was removed less than 24 hours after it was put together.

By Yvanna Saint-Fort August 6, 2014 at 9:58 am

On July 18 Naomi Johnson held a memorial gathering for her fallen son Deshon Johnson. A few people got together for the “Remember Deshon Johnson Gathering,” which was held exactly two years to the date of Deshon’s death.

On Wednesday July 18, 2012 Deshon was hit by a bus at the corner of Broad Street and Bay Avenue and was then dragged 50 to 100 feet.

The day after the two year anniversary memorial was held, Johnson returned to her son’s memorial and saw that it had been removed over night.

Johnson went around to local businesses asking if anyone had seen or heard what happened to her son’s memorial. A worker at a nearby nursery told Johnson that she saw a town cleaner in the area of Deshon’s memorial.

“My son was murdered by the bus driver and Bloomfield is acting like my son’s life was not important by removing his memorial,” said Johnson. “It is bad enough my son lost his life in that town.”

Johnson said she reviewed Bloomfield townships code to see if the memorial was in violation of any laws but found nothing regarding a memorial site. The balloons, flowers and candles that were left behind after the small gathering were against the wall, not protruding onto the sidewalk or street.

The Deshon Johnson College Scholarship Foundation President, Tamara, called Bloomfield township and spoke with Township Administrator Ted Ehrenburg, who said he did not know anything about the memorial.

Johnson also said that a friend of hers called the Bloomfield Department of Public Works, the department in charge of street cleaning, and was once again told that the department knew nothing of Deshon’s memorial site and its removal.

“They did not let my son’s memorial stay there a week,” said Johnson. “I think it is inhuman and heartless to trash my son’s memorial. The town of Bloomfield sends off a negative message that my son’s life and memory is trash.”

http://patch.com/new-jersey/montclair/fallen-montclair-students-memorial-removed#.U-Q66uNdWvY