Article by David Fortier and photos by Laura Bailey
One by one, he asked them, members of the audience, to rise. First, those who have served a police department in any capacity. Next, those who have served on the front lines in any capacity. Lastly, friends and supporters of those who have served.
“At this point, every single person in this room should be on their feet,” said the evening’s keynote speaker Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould close to the end of his address to the crowd of over 900 people, who came to the Aqua Turf for the Bristol Exchange Club’s annual Officer of the Year Program.
The “Honoring Heroes” program commemorated the officers, who on the fateful night in October were killed, Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy and another, Officer Alec Iurato, who fought through being shot himself and took down the shooter.
“Thank you for being here tonight. Thank you for being with us always. Let us celebrate these exceptional individuals and celebrate each other as well.”
Then, he offered, to all those gathered words of comfort for everyone in the audience, from families of those involved in the ordeal to a community that has tried to offer comfort and solace and healing through awards and honors and financial support to survivors.
“This is how we do it, together,” Gould said. “One team, one fight, and together we stand, shoulder to shoulder in the pursuit of equality, liberty and justice for all. Respect, admiration, appreciation, honor, pride together.
“We shall prevail. God bless Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy and all the others who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and may their souls rest in eternal and everlasting peace.”
Earlier in his address, Gould addressed his comments directly to Officer Alec Iurato, who survived being shot and injuried before confronting the shooter.
“Officer Iurato has decided that he does not wish to publicly receive any awards tonight, informing me that this is about Dustin and Alex and he wished to be among those of us honoring rather than being honored.
“Alec, I am not sure I have ever had the privilege of coming before a more humble individual, and I continue to stand in awe of you.”
Gould was one of several speakers during the evening, including Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. John Larson and Mayor Jeffrey Caggiano.
All the elected official provided proclamations honoring the officers of the year, including Lt. Gov., Susan Bysiewicz and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, both of whom could not be present.
State Rep. Mary Fortier presented proclamations from Bristol’s state delegation, including herself, State Reps. Joe Hoxha and Cara Pavalock-D’Amato and State Sen. Henri Martin.
The evening also celebrated young Bristol Police cadets, Gianna Leone and Matthew Harkey as the Bristol Exchange Club’s Cadets of the Year. Fortier read proclamations that Murphy had provided for them as well.
“We’re all here to salute three heroic great individuals, two who gave their lives and one who is coming back,” Lamont said in his comments, at the beginning of the evening’s program.
Blumenthal, also speaking at the beginning of the program, said, “As much as their contribution has been in what they did, they will live on as role models that they provide in the same spirit for the thousands of people who will follow in public service.”
In his comments, Larson directed his opening comments to Iurato.
“Your exceptional heroism and your humility this evening but under the most difficult of circumstances, exhibiting what heroism is all about, here tonight, wanting to be amongst the many who have turned out to honor your comrades.
“Yes, we have citations here tonight but they seem to pale given the magnitude of what was on display on the evening of Oct. 12.”
Caggiano presented the annual Bristol awards to members of the officers’ families and to the cadets, said, “Before I get going, I just noticed that I don’t know that I’ve ever seen the hall completely open before, so it’s a tremendous crowd tonight.”
As part of his comments, Caggiano pointed out that in the audience were several former Bristol mayors, Michael Werner, John Leone and Ellen Zoppo-Sassu.
A representative of the National Exchange Organization, Region 12 Vice President Paul Greatsinger presented the 2023 Blue & Gold Awards to DeMonte, Hamzy and Iurato.
The purpose of the National Exchange Blue and Gold Award, as quoted from the program, is to enhance the public’s level of respect, admiration and appreciation for the severe sacrifices that law enforcment officers and firefighters frequently make in the line duty.
Emcees for the program, Bristol Exchange Club members Mickey Goldwasser and Debbie Schur set the appropriate tone, providing welcoming comments and navigating through the evening’s program with its three sections.
Schur, in her opening comments, said, “We are all here tonight as a community, the Bristol community. Together we will navigate our way through the myriad of emotions before us.”
She said that as she looked at the remarkable turnout, “a bold, public outpouring of love,” she was reminded of the other end of the spectrum, “small unsung heartfelt displays of love” that she witnessed since the events of Oct. 12.
She included letters from children just learning to write, the veteran who left his Purple Heart at the memorial and the father of an Exchange Club scholarship winner leaving a bag of coins for the surviving children of the fallen officers, so that they might find some joy one day putting those coins in their piggy banks.
In his opening comments, Goldwasser remembered admonitions from his parents who always told him when he was a child, “to look for the men and women in blue, when you were lost, need help, or in times of trouble.”
“It is a true honor to join you all tonight as we pause to give thanks to all our officers and our honorees,” he said. “You have been and will always be there for me and from the bottom of my heart, thank you all.”
Maria Salice not only sang the National Athem but ended the program with a rendition of “This is My Song, God of All the Nations.”
Deputy Police Chief Matthew Moskowitz led the Pledge of Allegiance and the Police Pipes and Drums of Waterbury, featuring bagpipes, accompanied the Bristol Police Color Guard in performing its duties.
Upon arrival at the Aqua Turf, participants were greeted with the sight of an immense American Flag streaming from Bristol Fire Dept. Tower 1.
All proceeds of the event, including the raffles, will be donated to the families of the officers.
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