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 In the latest fight against the Department of Justice's mismanagement and improper denials of funds for "Hometown Heroes", the families of two slain NYPD auxiliary Officers have scored a victory not only for their Heroes but for Reserve Deputies and Auxiliary Officers around the country.
Although the Justice Department improperly denied benefits to as many as 65 slain Police Officers since the enactment of the "Hometown Heroes" act in 2003, this denial hit the NYPD and the families of the slain Officers particularly hard. On the night of March 14, 2007 Officers Nicholas Pekearo, 28, and Yevgeniy Marshalik, 19 - both in
uniform and on duty, but not authorized to carry guns - were chased down and brutally murdered by a
gunman who'd already fatally shot a bartender at a Village pizza
restaurant.
The Justice Department ruled the Officers were not eligible for death benefits because they didn't have arrest powers. The families of the slain Officers argued they were targeted specifically because of the uniform they wore regardless of the powers granted to them by the city.
Click the "Read More" link to learn more about this and see surveillance video of the Officers death (not suitable for minors).
As you can see from this dramatic video, the Officers were targeted, run down and murdered because of the uniform they wore.
Fortunately, US Attorney General Michael Mukasey recently told Sen. Charles Schumer (who had fought for the Officers to receive benefits) that the
original Department of Justice ruling - claiming the officers didn't
quality for death benefits because they didn't have arrest powers - had
been overturned.
"Every auxiliary police officer and their families now know when they
go out and risk their lives that they will be treated the same should
they make the ultimate sacrifice," Schumer said.
The names of the two young heroes next month will be added to
cop memorials in both New York and Washington - in the lobby of NYPD
Headquarters at One Police Plaza and at the National Law Enforcement
Officers Memorial in the nation's capital.
The federal rejection of death benefits had been devastating to the young men's families.
"For them to say that what they did was nothing, it really
hurts," Boris Marshalik had said of his son. "I think it's very, very
wrong."
Pekearo's mother, Iola Latman, said she "was relieved to have the answer and thrilled that they are now recognized as heroes."
Click here to read more on this article from Officer.com
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