Manalapan Police Officer Honored For Stopping Gunman In 2019

MANALAPAN — A Manalapan Township police officer was honored last month for his quick response in controlling a gunman at a crowded Fourth of July celebration.

Ptl. Kyle Williams was honored by the 200 Club of Monmouth County in October. On July 4, 2019, Williams was assigned to a mutual aid detail in Asbury Park to assist with large crowds when heard a gunshot and came across a man holding a gun. Williams chased the fleeing man on foot and apprehended the individual on the ground, handcuffing him and taking possession of the gun. After encountering, disarming and detaining the armed man, Ptl. Williams then tended to a gunshot victim applying a tourniquet in a lifesaving effort.

The suspect in the incident was a juvenile charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Williams was given the 200 Club's highest honor, the Valor Award. He was one of seven Monmouth County members of law enforcement given the award this year.

"They went above and beyond the call of duty, risking their lives to save another … They have earned and deserve our sincere respect, appreciation and admiration," said Robert Honecker, president of The 200 Club of Monmouth County

The seven total police officers who received Valor Awards are from three different police departments in Monmouth County:

Long Branch Police Department: Corporal Robert Korn. Corporal Korn responded to a domestic violence incident where a man was “actively attempting to murder his wife” on Feb. 5, 2019. Corporal Korn pulled the man away from the woman and disarmed him of two knives.

Manalapan Police Department: Patrol Officer Kyle Williams.

Marlboro Police Department: Lieutenant John Loyer, Patrol Officer Donna Gonzalez, Patrol Officer Adam Mattei, Patrol Officer Colin Murray, and Patrol Officer Robert Kelly. Working together on June 16, 2020, this group of officers used a patrol car to separate two vehicles involved in a serious crash where one of the cars was on fire. They successfully removed an unconscious occupant from the burning car before the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames. The incident was captured by body cameras and was covered by the media.

The 200 Club of Monmouth County's main mission is to provide financial assistance to families of first responders who die or are seriously injured in the line of duty. To date, The 200 Club has given out more than $2.2 million in college scholarships.

The 200 Club of Monmouth County was founded by Monmouth County philanthropists in the 1970s, when each pledged an annual donation of $200.

With reporting by Carly Baldwin.

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