A Cheektowaga man has been awarded the New York State Senate Liberty Medal for helping a Wyoming County Sheriff's deputy arrest a suspect.
John Harzynski is a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Postal Service and was delivering newspapers along Route 238 on Dec. 11, when he came upon an unmarked police car with lights flashing.
Looking farther, Harzynski noticed Sheriff's Deputy Gregory Rudolph wrestling with a man armed with a knife. Harzynski grabbed the suspect, allowing Rudolph to tackle the man and place him under arrest.
State Police have charged Lynn Hall, 48, of Castile with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, second-degree assault with intent to injure an officer, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other charges.
The Liberty Medal was presented by State Sen. Patrick Gallivan (R-Elma) and is one of the highest civilian honors a New York resident can receive for exceptional, heroic or humanitarian acts.
