Man Beaten As Helpless Family Watches

Outside the Coeymans town court, 25-year-old Landon Keir of Coeymans Hollow said someone else did it.  21-year-old Matthew Walkerf Selkirk said he was somewhere else when it happened. Inside the courtroom Keir asked reporters, "How'd the media hear about this?" and Walker leaned forward in his chair, touching his cheeks to his knees to wipe away tears. Each was ordered held without bail, accused of punching and kicking a 43-year-old Ravena man, breaking his jaw while his wife and two children watched after retreating to their car. Police were still looking for a third suspect, 22-year-old Lawrence LaMountain of Troy.

Police say on the afternoon of May 31, the victim and his family were having a picnic at Joralemon Park, a beautiful, peaceful and somewhat secluded expanse of a park featuring BBQ grills, a playground, ball fields and a FrisbeeGolf course. According to investigators, a group of loud men disturbed the family with foul language. After the victim asked the men to watch their language, an exchange of words led to pushing. One detective says the victim backed down but three men attacked him anyway. Coeymans Police Chief Gregory Darlington says there is no indication the attackers had been drinking and says the victim had not been drinking and did nothing to provoke an attack. Darlington said the victim crawled to his car after the attack and his wife took him to the hospital, where further surgery is necessary.

Police say the three who attacked the man were part of a larger group that included one person the victim knows. According to police Keir and Walker are co-workers at Package Paving in Ravena and were arrested at work Friday.