MARLBORO – After saving the life of a 17-year-old trapped in a damaged car, a lieutenant and four officers were nominated for the prestigious Valor Award given by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.
On June 5, 2020, a young woman was pinned inside a crumpled car after a fatal crash on Conover Road. Police Chief Peter J. Pezzullo credited Lt. John Loyer and Officers Donna Gonzalez, Adam Mattei, Colin Murray and Robert Kelly for saving her.
This year, these officers along with 33 others from nine police departments have been nominated for the Valor Award. The award will be presented at the 109th NJSACOP’s Annual Conference & Police Security Expo on August 23 to 26 in Atlantic City.
The Marlboro Police departments states that the officers’ “swift, courageous actions” saved the life of the unconscious woman moments before the car burst into flames.
The nomination states that Lt. Loyer is a 30-year police veteran; Officer Gonzalez is a former Monmouth County sheriff’s officer, hired 11 years ago; Officer Mattei is a six-year veteran; Officer Murray worked in Marlboro for three years; and Officer Kelly, for more than a year.
The Valor Award was established by the NJSACOP in 2000 to recognize New Jersey police officers and private citizens who “demonstrate exceptional heroism and commitment to their profession, their law enforcement agency and to the public they serve.”
To learn more about the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, visit NJSACOP.org.
