You rock, Walter! You just went viral.
Hastings man protests losing custody of 14-year-old daughter
Anthony Pura
He said the county wrongfully took his daughter away from him.
Now, with signs and his truck, a Hastings man is making it his mission that every parent in town hears his story.
This man has lost custody of his 14–year–old daughter. Child Protective Services is calling him an unfit parent.
But he's fighting those allegations. Through signs. Tape. And his truck. He parks it downtown for others to read as a warning about what he calls government agencies overstepping parent's rights.
"The Child Protective Services in Adams County is out of control, they just take your kids, and when they feel like it they'll give 'em back," said Kerr.
Call it a warning. A protest. A spotlight on an issue.
For nearly a month, Walter Kerr parks his truck in different locations in downtown Hastings moving it every hour. His favorite parking spots: in front of the courthouse and in front of the the Child Protective Services building.
"Hopefully some other parents will figure out we need to get our rights back," said Kerr.
He said Child Protective Services took away his 14-year-old daughter Shelby in July after an incident left with her with an injured wrist a bump on the cheek.
Kerr said it was an accident.
"My dog was stuck in the bathroom and when I went to push the door to let her out, my daughter was on the other side and door bumped her on the head," Kerr said.
Child Protective Services would not confirm or deny that account.
While the Hastings Police Department has recorded the incident as a domestic assault case, they also wouldn't disclose any details.
But Kerr said he stands by his story and says his daughter just wants to come home.
"I've never heard her in my life say, 'I wish I was dead,' until the day they took her away from me," said Kerr.
Shelby is currently under custody of a family friend.
As of last week, Kerr has earned unsupervised visitation rights.
But the case is still ongoing, and he said his signs are really just to let other parents become aware of the what he calls the government overstepping its limits.
Now again, we did contact child protect services of Adams County.
They did not want to comment on an ongoing case.
Now, with signs and his truck, a Hastings man is making it his mission that every parent in town hears his story.
This man has lost custody of his 14–year–old daughter. Child Protective Services is calling him an unfit parent.
But he's fighting those allegations. Through signs. Tape. And his truck. He parks it downtown for others to read as a warning about what he calls government agencies overstepping parent's rights.
"The Child Protective Services in Adams County is out of control, they just take your kids, and when they feel like it they'll give 'em back," said Kerr.
Call it a warning. A protest. A spotlight on an issue.
For nearly a month, Walter Kerr parks his truck in different locations in downtown Hastings moving it every hour. His favorite parking spots: in front of the courthouse and in front of the the Child Protective Services building.
"Hopefully some other parents will figure out we need to get our rights back," said Kerr.
He said Child Protective Services took away his 14-year-old daughter Shelby in July after an incident left with her with an injured wrist a bump on the cheek.
Kerr said it was an accident.
"My dog was stuck in the bathroom and when I went to push the door to let her out, my daughter was on the other side and door bumped her on the head," Kerr said.
Child Protective Services would not confirm or deny that account.
While the Hastings Police Department has recorded the incident as a domestic assault case, they also wouldn't disclose any details.
But Kerr said he stands by his story and says his daughter just wants to come home.
"I've never heard her in my life say, 'I wish I was dead,' until the day they took her away from me," said Kerr.
Shelby is currently under custody of a family friend.
As of last week, Kerr has earned unsupervised visitation rights.
But the case is still ongoing, and he said his signs are really just to let other parents become aware of the what he calls the government overstepping its limits.
Now again, we did contact child protect services of Adams County.
They did not want to comment on an ongoing case.
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