Бывший школьный офицер Патрик Хэмилл баллотируется в совет директоров школы Vassar

VASSAR — Patrick Hammill lost his position as Vassar’s school resource officer, but he wants a seat on the Vassar school board. Hammill, seen in uniform in a Sept. 16, 2025 cellphone video on top of a teenager and handcuffing the youth’s wrists behind his back after the student walked away from school, will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. Hammill and Hobert E. Baker seek the two available six-year terms on the board. Baker is a board member but board Vice President Brian Rondo isn’t seeking to retain his seat. That means Baker and Hammill figure to win the board spots barring a challenge from any write-in candidates. A candidate has until 4 p.m. on Oct. 23 to submit a declaration of intent to the respective filing official – Tuscola County Clerk Jodi Fetting – in order to receive write-in votes in the Nov. 3 general election. Weeks after Hammill’s Sept. 16, 2025 confrontation with the teenage student, Zachary Rose, Hammill was pulled off the school-resource-officer beat. The switch in his duties occurred after Hammill allegedly made a remark to Vassar-area residents. Some residents have said the remark was a joke but others maintain it was offensive. It isn’t clear what Hammill specifically said, and to whom, that day. Vassar Public Schools announced in May that Officer Greg Mroz is the new school resource officer. Hammill continues working as a Vassar Police Department officer but has declined comment about his treatment of Rose. Vincie Skibowski, who lives along North Main Street across the street from where Hammill physically dealt with Rose, said she took the cellphone video capturing the confrontation. The video shows the officer on top of Zachary Rose – 15 at the time – and handcuffing Rose’s wrists behind his back as Rose lies face down on the grass adjacent to North Main Street in Vassar. That location is several blocks from Vassar High School. Hammill, who was the school resource officer at the time, still works for the Vassar Police Department but in a different capacity. Skibowski’s husband, Andrew Skibowski, has said he was “in disgust” at what he witnessed when Hammill overpowered the youth. Zachary Rose can be heard screaming for help on the video. He claims Hammill kneed him in the groin for refusing to sit down inside the patrol unit that day, minutes after Hammill detained him. But Lisa Lange, a Vassar resident, has said the public doesn’t have “the full story” regarding what occurred prior to when Hammill, aided by another Vassar police officer, detained Rose. Lange has stressed that the Skibowskis should have “kept their noses in their own business.” Vince Skibowski has said she didn’t record the cellphone video to gain publicity. “I think this is about doing what’s right here,” Skibowski said. “There are consequences for actions, and it makes no difference if you’re wearing a badge. If you do something wrong, there are consequences.” Hammill didn’t immediately return an email from The Advertiser seeking comment about why he’s running for school board. A woman who addressed the Vassar City Council late in 2025 about the officer’s encounter with Zachary Rose urged the public to put themselves in Hammill’s place during the incident involving the teenager who left school. “I ask you to consider this: How could Officer Hammill have known whether (Zachary Rose) posed a threat, or had a weapon?” the woman said. “I’m sure most people have been asked: Has there been issues before with this child? I personally have experienced this student invading my child’s personal space, despite repeated requests to stop. And I know that’s not a ‘You’ problem. “That’s a school problem. (Rose) has bullied my daughter, so let’s just not pretend that there are no other issues going on.”