Ministerial Alliance says police Lt. Marhulik deserves forgiveness

WARREN — The Trumbull County Interdemominational Ministerial Alliance met with the news media Wednesday to say that Lt. Joseph Marhulik, who called two men a derogatory term for a black person in August, deserves forgiveness.

“We are Christian preachers here, and if someone says they’re sorry ... we have to go by what he’s telling us,” said the Rev. Joshua Moore, president of the Ministerial Alliance, an organizationn of about 40 ministers, most of them black.

“We think he’s sincere and he’s a good policeman. From what I hear, Lt. Marhulik is a good policeman and is working to make amends,” Pastor Moore said, adding that Marhulik’s behavior was uncharacteristic.

“We believe [Marhulik] and believe he just made a mistake, which we are all given to do from time to time,” Pastor Moore said.

Furthermore, the department under new police Chief Tim Bowers appears to have handled the Marhulik matter in a “proactive” way, Pastor Moore said.

“It appears they have take a different stance” than in the past, Pastor Moore said, adding that he has talked with Bowers and is looking forward to a good relationship with him.

Read more in Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com