Fair Lawn Officer Mary Ann Collura Remembered 16 Yrs. After Death

FAIR LAWN, NJ — The Fair Lawn Police Department honored late officer Mary Ann Collura Wednesday, the 16th anniversary of her death.

"We mark this anniversary annually, but we remember her every day in some way. She is forever in our hearts," the department said on its Facebook page. "Time does not heal all wounds. We choose to remember the positive memories and impacts that she had on our lives in an attempt to drive away the pain of her loss. No one can answer the question of what might have been, but we wish that we could have had the opportunity to find out."

Collura was shot and killed in the line of duty April 17, 2003. The man sought in her murder, Omar Marti, died three days later in a shootout with police in Florida.

Collura was the first woman police officer serving in Fair Lawn and, at the time, one of just five female officers ever killed in New Jersey, The New York Times reported shortly after her death.

"Police officers everywhere put their lives on the line every single day. It does not matter the size of the department or jurisdiction, those that choose to protect and serve are way too often placed in situations that threaten their lives," department officials said. "There is nothing routine about a traffic stop or a traffic detail. They are more often than not where the worst comes to pass."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com