Fallen Bristol officers honored at National Law Enforcement Memorial

WASHINGTON DC (WFSB) - Two Bristol police officers killed in the line of duty have been recognized as heroes forever.

Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy were honored Saturday in a candlelit vigil at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington DC.

It was an emotional weekend for both families.

Hamzy and DeMonte will sit side-by-side at the memorial.

Viewers will be able to see both of their names etched into the monument.

Saturday night, they were honored as tens of thousands of police officers from all over the country and all over the world attended the vigil.

Officers from Connecticut were also in attendance.

DeMonte and Hamzy laid down their lives in Oct. 2022. Bristol police said they were ambushed by a man who shot and killed them.

A third officer, Alec Iurato was also shot, but survived his injuries and was able to kill the man.

The event on Saturday, and the acknowledgment for the entire week, was not just about DeMonte and Hamzy.

It was about how they and the other fallen officers chose to live.

Lieutenant DeMonte lived in North Haven and was a doting father of two with one on the way.

Sergeant Hamzy was a true son of Bristol. He grew up in the city and was a passionate supporter of his hometown and the Bristol Police Cadet Program.

Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould had the immense honor of reading their names.

“There’s good, there’s great, there’s exceptional. They’re exceptional, both of them,” Chief Gould said.

Their friend and fellow officer Detective Peter Dauphinais said the honor is bittersweet.

“Having our officers go on that wall is a mix of emotions,” said Det. Dauphinais. “I’m happy that they’re here, happy they’re being honored, but I am so sad for their family.”

Channel 3 spoke with the CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

She said tonight should serve as a reminder of the sacrifice every officer makes every day.

“Our nation forgets that these men and women are waking up every morning leaving their families, leaving their homes, and putting their lives on the line to help keep us safe, and I think this week is a wakeup call for our nation,” said Marcia Ferranto, National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund.

Channel 3 saw hundreds of officers visit the memorial over the course of the week.

Dozens of members from the Bristol Police Department who knew and loved Hamzy and DeMonte were expected to arrive in DC on Friday.

“I never thought I’d have to see one of my own brothers on the wall here but coming in and having to see that I wouldn’t call it closure but it’s really meaningful,” said Bristol Police Patrolman Conor Hogan.

Hogan rode in the Unity Ride at the National Law Enforcement Memorial to honor his two fallen brothers.

“Both amazing family men outside of that agency and just the kind of people you’d want to hang around inside the agency,” Hogan said.

Hogan is part of a huge contingent of family, friends, and fellow officers filled with sadness and pride honoring not just DeMonte and Hamzy, but every police officer who died in the United States over the last 12 months.

“They were real human beings they were dad’s community members, huge contributors to their department,” said Jeff Hogan.

Conor Hogan’s dad Jeff is a family friend of both men and a former police officer. He said this week, which will culminate in a vigil on the National Mall on Saturday, is emotional. Filled with sadness, but mostly pride.

“Everyone is here for them, all the folks coming down from Bristol all the families that are coming down are here for them to focus on what they did,” Jeff Hogan said.

Conor Hogan said what they did and the impact of their actions will live on eternally just like their names on the wall.

“The support we’ve received nationwide in our city, it’s unbelievable. Bristol’s a true community and I’m really proud to work there,” Conor Hogan said.

The New Haven Police Department is also swelling with pride this week. Former Officer Diane Gonzales had her name added. She died recently after a lengthy coma.

A Norwich officer who died from Covid complications, and a Preston officer who died back in 1918, but was never memorialized, were also honored.

Eyewitness News will have more on the memorial throughout the weekend.