Bristol officers to be honored with posthumous promotions
By Christian Colón, Marcy Jones and Rob Polansky
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BRISTOL, Connecticut (WFSB) — As the community prepares to say goodbye to the two Bristol police officers killed in the line of duty, the department will posthumously promote both.
Officer Alex Hamzy will be promoted to a sergeant and Sgt. Dustin DeMonte will be promoted to lieutenant.
Hamzy and DeMonte will be laid to rest later this week.
The Bristol community has been showing their support for the Bristol Police Department by coming together as a community. Local businesses have been raising money for the DeMonte and Hamzy families, and residents have been putting up blue lights outside of their homes.
Many saw it as a way to honor two men who have given so much to their community.
“Christmas morning, officer Demonte called me and said ‘good morning, this is officer Demonte from the Bristol Police Department, and someone dropped off an anonymous donation for you. How may I get it to you?’” said Patricia Stebbins, executive director Brian’s Angels.
Stebbins is the executive director of the local homeless shelter Brian’s Angels. She said that was the first time she met DeMonte back in 2015.
DeMonte and Hamzy would help with the cadets at holiday events. Many have been remembering how the two officers would always be ready to lend a hand.
“I remember him standing with me in the hall when all the cadets were around. He was just a regular guy, having fun. He was funny with the kids,” Stebbins recalled about DeMonte.
Channel 3 spoke with Hamzy’s childhood friend who said she remembered the little things.
“We grew up our entire lives together. Some of my favorite memories were snow days because when the plow trucks would come by, we would make caves and have fights across the street,” said Megan McElhone.
The public was invited to the Lyceum Banquet Hall from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday for Hamzy’s calling hours. Parking will be available at the Terryville Fairgrounds with shuttle service.
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