Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Mary Ann Collura was shot and killed following a vehicle pursuit that ended in Fair Lawn at 10 pm.
An officer from the Clifton Police Department had spotted a vehicle speeding through Clifton, New Jersey, and attempted to stop the vehicle. The vehicle fled at a high rate of speed while the passengers threw items out of the vehicle's windows. The officer chased the vehicle through several towns and into Fair Lawn, where the car crashed on the front lawn of a church.
Officer Collura arrived on the scene minutes later to assist the officers involved in the chase. One of the occupants of the vehicle got out of the car and began waving his hands as if to surrender, but then the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The officer from the Clifton Police Department was able to tackle the suspect in the rear lot of the church. As he was reaching for his mace, the suspect drew a firearm from his pocket and opened fire, striking Officer Collura four times and killing her. The Clifton Officer drew his firearm, but before he could fire, the suspect shot him too, striking him twice, once in the leg and once in the arm. The suspect then stole Officer Collura's patrol car and fled. The Clifton Officer was able to empty his weapon at the fleeing car, but the suspect was not hit.
Two suspects were apprehended the next day and charged with murder. The suspect who shot the two officers fled to Florida, where he was shot and killed by deputies in Sumter County on April 20. In that incident, the suspect opened fire on a Hernando County deputy as the deputy walked past his car. Deputies chased him into Sumter County during a running gun battle until he crashed his vehicle. He attempted to steal another car before trying to commit suicide by shooting himself in the jaw. He was then shot and killed by deputies when he pointed his weapon at them.
Officer Collura had served with the Fair Lawn Police Department as a full-time officer for 18 years and had been a special officer for an additional two years. She was the agency's first female officer.
Survivors
She is survived by her mother, brother, and two sisters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-2D57705B- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
20 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Collura gave the Fair Lawn Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Fair Lawn community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Collura.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Mary Ann Collura is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In NJ, 229 of 646 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.4% of this state's fallen. That is 35.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Mary Ann Collura's cause is highlighted.
How Mary Ann Collura Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Mary Ann Collura is highlighted in Apr.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Mary Ann Collura was killed by gun; unknown type.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Fair Lawn Police Department are honored on badge.nw.