Hindi ask D.A.: Cite protest foe

November 6, 1990

Pottsville (PA.) Republican

By Karen Hube and Peter Bortner

Animal-rights activists asked Schuylkill County District Attorney Claude A. L. Shields Monday for authority to file a criminal complaint against an Annville man who fought with protesters after his windshield was smashed at the Hegins pigeon shoot.

Meanwhile, organizers of the Annual Fred Coleman Memorial Pigeon Shoot have scheduled a press conference for Thursday, Nov. 15, in Hegins on the future of the shoot where “important announcements” are promised.

Also Monday, seven activists – five from Schuylkill County – were interviewed in a state police internal investigation into the conduct of troopers at the 57th annual shoot, held Labor Day.

“It’s time we came clean with all the facts,” said Steven O. Hindi of Plano, Ill., who was one of those interviewed Monday and later, with his brother Gregory G., met with Shields at the Schuylkill County Courthouse in Pottsville.

They want to file a private criminal complaint against Michael A. Steward of Annville, who was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly punching Steven Hindi at the shoot. The charges were dropped because state police said they couldn’t come up with a witness.

No decision the private criminal complaint will be made before the end of November, Chief County Detective Terry Noll said later. Noll added he met separately with the Hindis for almost 90 minutes Monday.

Shields has the final authority, as the district attorney, to authorize a private criminal complaint. Nell said he would investigate the matter and make his recommendation to Shields. The recommendation will not occur for several weeks because of the November criminal term of court that began Monday, Noll added.

Those interviewed Monday for the internal probe were Kyle Quandel, 16, of Pottsville, Doris Gitman, Bonnie Cubler and Thomas M. Adcock, all of Schuylkill Haven, Steven and Gregory Hindi of Plano, and a Pottsville woman who did not want to be named.

Sgt. Charles Skurkis of the Bureau of Professional Responsibility Internal Affairs Division interviewed the activist individually at Gitman’s home.

The internal probe was spurred by a formal complaint by Keith Mohler of Columbia, near York.

Also, Mohler said, the troopers seemed unable to provide adequate protection for either shoot supporters or protesters.

The Hindis also again asked that state police Cpl. Glenn R. Cousins take a lie-detector test. Gregory Hindi said he took and passed one Nov. 3. Cousins’ testimony was accepted as true by District Justice Earl H. Matz, Jr., Tremont, who found Gregory Hindi guilty Sept. 19 of disorderly conduct and fined him $354.