Mother of slain officer supports alert system
Youngstown Vindicator – It took two days to capture the murderer of Youngstown police Patrolman Michael Hartzell, killed in the line of duty in April 2003.
A national alert system aimed at capturing criminals who injure or kill law-enforcement officials could have led to a quicker arrest, Mary Kay Hartzell, the officer’s mother, said Friday.
“In those two days, [Martin Koliser Jr., convicted of murdering Hartzell] could have killed a child or family,” she said. “The quicker the news gets out, the quicker criminals can be found.”
Hartzell attended a Friday press conference at the Mahoning County Justice Center with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and numerous Mahoning Valley law-enforcement officials in support of a proposed federal law that would create the national alert system.
“Her courage, during her time of grief, in advocating for others rather than giving up is a testimony to her” courage, Brown said of Hartzell.
