John Mahoney arraigned in the murder of his father, a Piscataway police officer

It All Boils Down To This

What ever circumstances caused this tragedy, the reality is, something happened to the son or something happened between the father and son (argument, conflict escalation, illegal activities, peer pressure as a result of illegal activities, and what ever else you want to consider/contemplate) and we know the tragic result. Any decent human being would not just take a gun and fire it at someone that has been taking care of them for 19 years. There had to be a cause (reason) that resulted in the action. The consequence is tragic for all.

Here is some food for thought – no need to respond – it is the reality of Piscataway, like so many other towns

and

at the right time let’s (and it will take time) try to move on (as difficult the situation is for many family and friends) and make things better.

Reality - Piscataway is a town, like many other towns, has a lot of good going on and a good amount of bad. The bad I am talking about is illegal activities - i.e, illegal substances, drugs (purchase, use, and distribution). Office Mahoney like other police department personnel in Piscataway and other towns try to reach-out to people that are having challenges/difficulties in these areas to help. They may know people that they encounter with these illegal activities from close association or from other people’s association and do not always follow the book. They “let people slide” or “cut them a break”– this happens in many towns. They will council and mentor the person as a father figure to try to keep the person from trying to do it again. They don’t follow the book all the time, depending on the person, because of their association with the person involved, their attempt to turn a bad situation into an opportunity for improvement for that person, the goodness of their heart, or they want to be seen as a person with power and authority to bend the rules. This all could be good, however, doing it for many years in a community like Piscataway, that has a significant growing population over the past 25 years and a history of escalation of illegal drug activity (like many other towns – especially in the youth), there needs to be change. This change needs to be now – with strict enforcement of the book. The town will be better, the number of people conducting illegal activities will be reduced, people conducting the activity will get the help they need (even if it’s hard time) and families will be more at rest because they know that they could be out of their vicious circle. Don’t get me wrong the township and Officer Mahoney have done GREAT things to educate the youth and the community. However, the situation is probably snowballing and getting worse and more difficult for law enforcement to manage due to approaches used throughout the years to deal with this challenging and difficult area – policing and enforcing laws associated with the use and distribution of illegal substances and drugs. If the book is fully enforced – there could be a dramatic change, for the better, for a great and historic community.

I totally disagree with what you are saying. Piscataway is a great town, and we lived here for many years. Piscataway High School has 10 students won #1 in FBLA business competitions in New Jersey won over hundreds of all other high schools, and represent NJ to compete in Chicaga in summer 2007. My son's team won over 40 of other states whose reps all were #1 in their state, and steped into findal, and eventually got the national plaque back. Last year, my son's NJ Science League Physics competition also won #1 in New Jersey, their 184 points won over hundreds of all other high schools in New Jersey. JP Steves got 124 points and Bridgewater only 120 points. Piscataway High School Orchestra also the best in Central Jersey Music Festival and obtain #1 together with East Brunswick High School and West Winsor High School. They also won the First Place at Boston Music Festival. My son's classmate Colin got #1 in NJ Economics competition won over hundreds of all other high schools in NJ, and he just got full score at SAT and full scholarship to Rutgers Univ, he may go to Columbia Univ. There are many students in my street going to Princeton Univ, Cornell Univ, Harvard Univ, Univ of Michigan. And I went to UC Berkeley, both under and graduate worked for Bell Labs, Wall Street, many of the residents with great education and went to great schools, their kids are diligent and excellient.

What the hell you are talking about? Are you drug dealer? Don't come to Piscataway, or we shall catch you.

Cheng - You must be living in a bubble. I have attended the Piscataway School System my whole school career, and I can definitely say that the youth has gotten tremendously worse. I was in the marching band, orchestra, wind ensemble, drama club, and robotics. Yes, we did well, but that was only a handful of students from the whole pool of over 2000 students in the high school. We won the competitions also, but aside from that, the other students had their problems also. You could just see it when you walked through the hallways. Around my junior and senior year, the students were forming more "gangs" and becoming more violent towards each other, both verbally and physically. Just recently, I took a trip back to high school to pick up some transcripts, and it has definitely gotten worse. The language alone says it all.

I knew Officer Jerry Mahoney both from him being friends with my father and my uncle ( graduates from Piscataway High) and him being my DARE teacher in elementary school. He did a great job, but he did play the "buddy system." He did let people slide sometimes, but he couldn't help it. He had too much of a good heart.

It's a shame to have lost such a great Piscataway "icon," but the worst part of it was that he was shot with his own gun. I do not see the need for police officers to have an "off-duty" gun in the household. If they do have it, they need to be extra cautious when storing them. Officer Mahoney's death could have been prevented if there weren't any firearms in the household that were accessible to the son. Just another lesson for police officers to take note of.

You can't walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk until you walk the halls in the schools and check-out things going on behind the scenes in the township - than make a rational comment. Again, this is what can be seen in many townships not just Piscataway.

In Response to Cheng's Comments:

You can't walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk until you walk the halls in the schools and check-out things going on behind the scenes in the township - than make a rational comment. Again, this is what can be seen in many townships not just Piscataway.

that is not cool and i feel bad for the students that had him as a dare teacher.

Piscataway Reality wrote:

It All Boils Down To This
What ever circumstances caused this tragedy, the reality is, something happened to the son or something happened between the father and son (argument, conflict escalation, illegal activities, peer pressure as a result of illegal activities, and what ever else you want to consider/contemplate) and we know the tragic result. Any decent human being would not just take a gun and fire it at someone that has been taking care of them for 19 years. There had to be a cause (reason) that resulted in the action. The consequence is tragic for all.
Here is some food for thought – no need to respond – it is the reality of Piscataway, like so many other towns
and
at the right time let’s (and it will take time) try to move on (as difficult the situation is for many family and friends) and make things better.
Reality - Piscataway is a town, like many other towns, has a lot of good going on and a good amount of bad. The bad I am talking about is illegal activities - i.e, illegal substances, drugs (purchase, use, and distribution). Office Mahoney like other police department personnel in Piscataway and other towns try to reach-out to people that are having challenges/difficulties in these areas to help. They may know people that they encounter with these illegal activities from close association or from other people’s association and do not always follow the book. They “let people slide” or “cut them a break”– this happens in many towns. They will council and mentor the person as a father figure to try to keep the person from trying to do it again. They don’t follow the book all the time, depending on the person, because of their association with the person involved, their attempt to turn a bad situation into an opportunity for improvement for that person, the goodness of their heart, or they want to be seen as a person with power and authority to bend the rules. This all could be good, however, doing it for many years in a community like Piscataway, that has a significant growing population over the past 25 years and a history of escalation of illegal drug activity (like many other towns – especially in the youth), there needs to be change. This change needs to be now – with strict enforcement of the book. The town will be better, the number of people conducting illegal activities will be reduced, people conducting the activity will get the help they need (even if it’s hard time) and families will be more at rest because they know that they could be out of their vicious circle. Don’t get me wrong the township and Officer Mahoney have done GREAT things to educate the youth and the community. However, the situation is probably snowballing and getting worse and more difficult for law enforcement to manage due to approaches used throughout the years to deal with this challenging and difficult area – policing and enforcing laws associated with the use and distribution of illegal substances and drugs. If the book is fully enforced – there could be a dramatic change, for the better, for a great and historic community.

Sadly, this a reality pill that no one is prepared to swallow. I am a 25 year old female and I know exactly what you are talking about. You are not taking away from the good things that P-way has to offer. The police often do turn a blind eye. Sometimes for the wrong reason. Its a shame that residents do not know the crime stats of thier own town. They would be shocked at how much crime does take place. Chat it up with any police officer and they will tell you. We have crime, you just dont hear about it...It's all an illusion folks. Wake up!

ciara bender wrote:

that is not cool and i feel bad for the students that had him as a dare teacher.

thousands.....:( I am one.

I hear ya wrote:

<quoted text>Sadly, this a reality pill that no one is prepared to swallow. I am a 25 year old female and I know exactly what you are talking about. You are not taking away from the good things that P-way has to offer. The police often do turn a blind eye. Sometimes for the wrong reason. Its a shame that residents do not know the crime stats of thier own town. They would be shocked at how much crime does take place. Chat it up with any police officer and they will tell you. We have crime, you just dont hear about it...It's all an illusion folks. Wake up!

There are many like you that feel the same:

Here are 2006 Crime Stats:

New Jersey Crime Reports
County MIDDLESEX COUNTY Town Piscataway Twp.
Year 2006
Total crimes 894
Violent crimes 75
Burglary 180
Rape 4
Larceny 582
Robbery 26
MV theft 57
Assault 45
Arson 13
Domestic violence 323
Bias crime 1
Male officers 86
Female officers 6
Civilian employees 19
Total police force 111

We can talk about all the crime that's in piscataway but like it was said in the first post, something had to have happened to make the son shoot his father and it's not just because he lived in Piscataway. I read in some articles that were published after this tragedy and it said that the boy and father didn't get along very well because was strict with his son. His son didn't like the fact that his father wouldn't allow him to go out and do things with his friends. I could see how the son didn't want his father to keep being so strict but to shoot your father and then shoot yourself to make it look like someone else did the shooting, that's not necessary. And look at where the son is now...

If you've ever seen John Mahoney walking through the hallways you could understand why he did what he did.Piscataway is a very diverse school both ethnically and psychologically, and John was pretty much isolated from the rest of the student body; he just didn't "FIT IN".
Although there is no excuse for murder especially that of your own father,John was a complete loner and he seem mentally distraught. It was obvious to some of us that his father's kindness outside the household was not shared towards John.

I beg to Differ Jerry kindness was towards every one including John!!! Joh nwas just ungrateful and i feel Because every one cherished his father and loved his father he envied him for that love and attention that he received from the community. There is no way to reason out why John did what he did. He took a life. It could have been anyone? His mother ne one but why Jerry... Because he envied the love and attention his dad received from literally EVERYONE!!!

Some of you are right and some of you are wrong. Crime in Piscataway is there, I for one used to help. I was, until I left in 1994 THE major drug trafficker in Picataway. BUT, crime was low. Arbor was safe, Quibbletown Park was clean and New Market section was golden. I brought crime down by taking drug addicts out of the parks and off the streets.
I (we) didn't allow all this ghetto-ness to happen. There was a code of ethics, dignity, even amongst criminals. If you did drugs, fine, but don't do then near kids or don't deal to kids, don't go near parks.
You can ask any officer who knows me, Dave Powell, Hackler, Pyro, even Grant I am an upstanding citizen. A criminal yes, but a good one. Piscataway has the best cops.
You know why Piscataway is BAD?? NO HONOR! People act like animals, they have no respect anymore for family and authority. The kids today, they think they have everything hard. They have it easy, try when we were younger. Before Nintendo,PS2 and PS3. Kids today are lazy, they don't do anything or go anywhere. So they get bored. Us, we had to always "Go Play". We weren't allowed to veg infront of a TV. If kids today, had to live just ONE DAY the way we did they would probably die because their brains would go on overload.
It's sad that John took his dads life but he wanted his "15 Minutes" of fame. Little does he know that he is going to pay 60 years of lonliness (Unless he becomes someones girl),destitute, and probably hunger.(Prison meals are small)
Piscataway's Number One Son
KlrImpala@yahoo.com

O.K, to the people that don't live in Piscataway or know the people involved in this... Shut up.

First off, the town isn't BAD. It's a town. There's going to be people who do the right thing, and like any other town in america there's going to be drugs and crime.

So,'Just another kid' I wonder why you didn't post your name? If you did go to school with John, as I did, and ever spoke with him instead of wrongly observing that he didn't fit in maybe you'd have enough balls to post who you are.