Local news, meet the big time. You may not like what is about to happen..

In May of 2008, Brandon Piekarsky and while Derrick Donchak were cleared of major crimes but sentenced on lesser ones. Their 'lesser crime' ? Murder..

The death of Luis Ramirez became a national story, with allegations of a cover up.. Allegations of cops going to extremes to try to hide evidence..

Now an FBI investigation, and now the arrest of four cops and the 're-charging' of two teens of hate crimes.

Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the unknowing town now playing in the new world of the net. The key points from today's edition of the POTTSVILLE REPUBLICAN:

"- Nestor "coordinated, led and permitted" the cover-up of the homicide investigation despite knowing he was already being probed by the FBI for the extortion case. In the extortion case, he allegedly took a witness in the woods, made him strip naked and threatened him. Nestor's dialogue was recorded on an FBI wiretap.
- Moyer was the first officer who arrived at the homicide scene and met with the 911 caller. Rather than chase the suspects, he let them go and threatened the witness by pointing his electronic stun gun at the person's head.
- Hayes, boyfriend of the mother of one of the teen suspects, targeted relatives of witnesses of the beating. He arrested a witness for loitering and prowling at nighttime while the witness was legally entering an acquaintance's home. Hayes then took the person to a police department in another town to be charged on Hayes' allegedly bogus claims.
- Gennarini told federal officials he has not used drugs in 18 years, but federal officials have learned he recently had a 20-year-old girlfriend for six months whom he supplied with alcohol, marijuana and cocaine and that he was a regular marijuana user. "

The notion of an officer in uniform taking a hostage, of sorts, into the woods and threatening him.. while being recorded by the FBI, is something of movies. But this is real.. very real. The police's actions, if true, are vile and despicable, not even worthy of human forgiveness. Abuse of power should never be taken lightly. This type of abuse, with the extinguishing of a human life at the root, should never have been considered by men of the law.. Men sworn to uphold honor and dignity.. Now Shenendoah has 3 police offers remaining...

But as bad as the allegations are, it doesn't end there.. according to a new lawsuit, it began even before the death of Luis Ramirez ..

The AP reporting:

"A police chief, ordered held without bail yesterday on charges that he tried to cover up the fatal 2008 beating of a Mexican immigrant by white teenagers, was named in a 2006 lawsuit that said police had beaten to death a Hispanic teenager, then made it look like a suicide. Police Chief Matthew Nestor, 33, was not charged in the teenager's death in November 2004, but the allegations in the lawsuit, in Tuesday's indictment, and in other civil claims depict a police department with hostility to minorities and a penchant for using excessive force.
Police "acted as feudal warlords in this coal town community that people were afraid of," said John Karoly, attorney for the parents of David Vega, 18, in the 2006 federal lawsuit against the borough. "I would not suggest they were not abusive to everyone and anyone, but I would say the pattern certainly starts to appear that minorities took the thrust of their abuse."
The suit names Nestor, Capt. Jamie Gennarini, and the Borough of Shenandoah as defendants. The officers have denied wrongdoing. A civil trial is scheduled for the summer. "

Other publications are noticing the events of the small town.. The New York TIMES reports

"Two days after the Justice Department announced federal indictments related to the fatal beating of a Mexican immigrant in Shenandoah, Pa., federal authorities said the charges were part of a larger effort to step up civil rights enforcement after nearly eight years of decreased hate crime prosecutions"

The story seemingly is just beginning.. Even after the hot court room drama of 2008, and the shocking verdict almost exonerating the teens charged, the new round of cover up allegations are shocking and discouraging.. The thought of police using their badge of honor as a sign of disgrace is disheartening.. it's disturbing. And if proven true in court, it's criminal.

It's worth noting, the Shenendoah police are now suspended without pay.. additionally, Shenendoah officials say the town is safe, despite fewer cops. If the allegations of wrongdoing are correct, the town was in danger with the four police officers on duty..

Developing//

Labels: Shenandoah