Georgia on my mind
New Jersey State PBA members travel the distance to stand with
Georgia officers as they mourn the loss of two corrections officers
n BY AMBER RAMUNDO
Mike Kaniuk was unsure how his kids would respond to
his not being there on Father’s Day. After all of the sacrifices
he makes during the year as the State Delegate for Middlesex
County Corrections Officers Local 152, Kaniuk knows that Fa-
ther’s Day is one holiday that his two sons look forward to shar-
ing with him.
But on June 13, two families in Georgia lost their own fathers
while doing their jobs as corrections officers. Georgia Depart-
ment of Corrections Officers Curtis Billue and Christopher
Monica did not return home from work that day, and the NJ
State PBA knew that it was only right that they do what they
could to help that community during a time of such hurt, loss
and confusion. So Kaniuk joined the contingent of members
who brought the PBA Special Services trailer to Georgia to hon-
or these fallen officers.
“I asked my sons if it would be OK if I went,” Kaniuk shared,
knowing that he would have to miss Father’s Day with his boys
to drive to Georgia for the funeral.
The response gave Kaniuk the peace of mind he needed to
know that his sons understood the importance of the trip.
“These two officers, their kids don’t have fathers now,” Ka-
niuk said his 20-year old son told him. “You’ll be around next
Father’s Day. Their fathers won’t be. Do what you have to do and
we’ll be here when you get back.”
The execution of Billue and Monica was so hard to make
sense of, as the father figures of both their families and the
community were mourned in Georgia. The officers were trans-
porting prisoners between facilities early in the morning when
two inmates broke through the prison bus’ barrier and attacked
Billue and Monica. During the attack, the inmates somehow
confiscated the officers’ firearms and fatally shot them before
fleeing the scene. The inmates were captured in Tennessee
three days later.
Billue, 58, was survived by two sons; Monica, 42, left behind
two daughters and two grandchildren. After working 27 years
in corrections, Kaniuk deeply identifies with the men who lost
their lives while following the protocol of their profession. So
does his wife, Sergeant Dana Kaniuk, who has worked for Mid-
dlesex County Corrections for more than two decades.
“It makes you think that it can happen anywhere,” stated
Dana. “A lot of times you get a little lackadaisical and you start
to maybe let your guard down after so many years because
nothing’s happened.”
On June 18, Mike and Dana packed up the truck to head
south, along with Keith Curry of Vernon Township Local 285
and Berkeley Heights Local 144 State Delegate Pat Moran. PBA
Special Projects Coo