U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Denies Permit To Honor Suicide Victim

NewsGlobal.com)- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will not provide a permit for a 5K memorial run honoring Jan. 6 defendant Matthew Perna to cross the Shenango Dam near Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, citing “security concerns” and the appearance of endorsing a political event in an election year.

After a 14-month battle with federal prosecutors, Perna committed suicide on Feb. 25, 2022.

On Oct. 15, a 5K will honor him.

The original race course crossed the almost 70-foot-high Shenango Dam, erected in 1961-65 for flood control.

Geri Perna, Matt Perna’s aunt, said she received a denial email on Aug. 22.

“Talk about kicking us when we’re down,” she lamented.

Matt Perna, a trail runner from Sharon, 70 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, routinely crossed the Shenango Dam. Geri Perna’s buddies suggested a 5K during his funeral.

Sharpsville agreed to host the race after the Corps of Engineers rejected it. “We’re grateful that our race will go as planned in Sharpsville,” she said.

Perna said that Matt’s group conceived the race at his burial. “It’s not political,” she said.

She wants to promote suicide prevention and mental disease awareness.

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