Autistic man Matthew Rushin released from prison following governor pardon
'We’re overwhelmed with emotion and joy and just elated that he’s finally home,' his mother shared at his release.
Matthew Rushin has been officially released from prison after serving two years of an initial 50 year-sentence for an injury-causing car accident in Virginia.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Rushin was welcomed home by his mother, who advocated for his release throughout the ordeal. He was behind bars at the Nottoway Correctional Center in Burkeville since January 2019.
According to the news outlet, the first thing the family did was go out to eat, where Rushin ordered his favorite meal from a Silver Diner restaurant in Richmond, VA. Next, he will seek medical care for a cyst.
“We’re overwhelmed with emotion and joy and just elated that he’s finally home,” said Rushin’s mother, Lavern Rushin, to the news outlet.
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In November 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam gave Rushin a conditional pardon that shortened his sentence, however, it did not vacate his conviction. As reported by CNN, Rushin was arrested at the scene of the accident in January 2020 when he struck a moving vehicle in a parking lot and allegedly fled the scene.
According to the authorities, his vehicle then entered oncoming traffic head-on and struck another vehicle, leaving a man severely injured. The 22-year-old pled guilty to two counts of malicious wounding and one count of hit-and-run personal injury.
“Mr. Rushin was sentenced for 50 years, despite sentencing guidelines that call for a sentence of 2 years 7 months up to 6 years 4 months,” Alena Yarmosky, a spokesperson for the governor, said to CNN. “Governor Northam’s conditional pardon aligns Mr. Rushin’s sentence with these sentencing guidelines.”
With the pardon, Rushin agreed to a set of terms which included not being allowed to drive again, supervised probation for five years, and involvement in a “mental health treatment, counseling and a substance abuse evaluation.”
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The Rushin family has been adamant that Matthew’s autism played a significant role in the accident, response, case, and treatment. theGrio reported his mother believed he had been taken advantage of by the Virginia Beach City Police Department and the City Attorney.
A GoFundMe campaign launched to aid in the legal battle clarified statements such as “I wish I was dead,” made by the accused are the results of his autism, Aspergers, ADHD, a traumatic brain injury sustained in a prior car accident, and anxiety.
The family, who believes these words were twisted and used against him, also used social media to spread awareness of the incident using the hashtag #FreeMatthewRushin.
The entire story from their perspective was documented on the Instagram account Justice4MatthewRushin.
While behind bars, Rushin contracted COVID-19. His mother feared he would die in prison.
Black Lives Matter 757 was at the facilities as Rushin was released, capturing the moment on social media. The organization advocated for his release while he was still in prison.
“#ThisisWhatCommunityLooksLike ! Thank you all who signed the petition, protested, called, emailed, and prayed!” BLM 757 wrote on Instagram, sharing a photo of Rushin, his mother, and a community member.
Video footage was also shared by the account.
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