Marty Powers

Fayette Fail Marty Powers

On a warm Monday evening in May 2010, my family and I went to see the Tina Fey/Steve Carell comedy Date Night. It has the kind of ridiculous slapstick humor I enjoy. As I walked out of the theater, I thought about how farfetched the plot was, and I was glad that my odds of getting caught up in such a ludicrous tale of corruption and criminal shenanigans were practically nil. I felt grateful in that moment that the town I've lived in for thirty years has maintained that small, hometown feel, even though it's grown so much. It still felt like a safe harbor from big-city corruption. I never imagined that the very next day, my family would be turned upside down by an extortion attempt and death threat. I never imagined that the local police department we trusted would turn against us, leaving us feeling manipulated, humiliated, and unsatisfied. We are forever changed. Our story, unlike the movie, did not wrap up with a tidy ending. The criminals were never caught, and no one was ever held accountable. Instead of working for us, the police department worked against us. You think it could never happen to you. We are proof that it can.