- [Narrator] John, we're here in Philadelphia.
You're out here homeless.
You just told me a woman spit on you.
- Yeah, all because I asked for a cigarette.
- [Narrator] That's horrible.
- That's the way some people are.
There's some good people and a lot more bad then good.
- [Narrator] Oh my gosh, how long have you been out here?
- For a little over a year.
- [Narrator] And where are you staying at night?
- Usually somewhere on Walnut Street.
One of the, in front of a store,
or something like that.
The shelters are too dangerous.
I got stabbed for my boots in a shelter.
I got kicked out of St. John's Hospice
because my health was too poor.
And the Outley House threw me out.
And never even gave a reason why
and banned me for six months.
- [Narrator] Here on your sign you have
some photos of when you're in a coma.
And then your leg, hard to see.
- It's got a fixator on it.
That's when they were trying to
save my shin bone but it's a metal rod now.
- [Narrator] So clearly, you're disabled?
- Yeah, and I'm trying to get Social Security Disability
and keep getting turned down.
- [Narrator] So right now you don't have any benefits?
- Nope, out here I have to beg for money,
when Liberty Mutual is supposed to
be taking care of my medicals.
Supposed to be paying me.
And they just outright refused to do it.
Even with a court order telling them to,
they said, "We don't care."
So, insurance companies have more money
than the state of New Jersey, so they're un-prosecutable.
- [Narrator] Oh my gosh!
- Can't do nothing.
- [Narrator] It was because of the health
issues that you ended up on the street?
- It's because of Liberty Mutual.
I'm supposed to be paid until I'm 65.
And they just decide, "We're not gonna pay no more.
"What are you gonna do to us?
"We make a billion dollars a year."
There's nothing anybody can do to them.
They sent me out here to die.
That's what they're waiting for.
They want me dead.
They told me to kill myself numerous times.
Just heard Debbie Durnham, Casey Krings,
hell, Bob Sands when I was in a coma,
was sent to kick the plug out of the respirator.
They were trying to get a court order
to have them disconnect me.
Because I'm cheaper dead than alive.
So I'm out here because I got hurt on the job,
fixing police and fires communications systems.
Now I get abused, and beaten, and robbed
and harassed by Philadelphia Police on a constant basis.
I've have water thrown on me, in these
freezing cold weathers, by the cops.
My blankets and sleeping bags were taken, by the cops.
That's what they do to us out here.
They have a homeless task force.
What do you need a task force
for the homeless for?
What are we, a bunch of terrorists?
The only thing the mayor doesn't want
is people to see poor people in his streets
holding up signs, asking for help.
It affects tourism.
Well, wake up, there's homelessness
all over the world.
And you're not going to make it
disappear by sweeping it under the rug.
- [Narrator] You're very right.
And my heart's breaking for you bro.
- The government's the reason why
we're in this situation in the first place.
- [Narrator] If you had three wishes what would they be?
- That I never fell off that tower
and I was still doing my job,
and climbing, and doing what I love to do.
That I can have my family back.
- [Narrator] So sorry man.
- If I could have either one of them
two that's gonna be good.
- [Narrator] Thank you very much
for talking to me bro.