Oct. 12, 2022. It's a day that Bristol will never forget. The day two beloved heroes lost their lives.
"There is a hole in our hearts today," Mayor Jeff Caggiano said. "I think that's the only thing I remember saying when that happened, but we really are trying to move forward."
One year ago, Lieutenant Dustin Demonte and Sergeant Alex Hamzy were killed in the line of duty. They were ambushed while responding to a call on Redstone Hill Road.
"When something tragic like this happens, there's no real way to fix it. But we all want to do our part to show our support," Mayor Caggiano said.
The community has shown its support in many ways in the days and weeks after the tragedy. That support poured in immediately as a police car outside the department turned into a makeshift memorial - covered in flowers and handwritten notes.
And at night, those iconic blue lights shone through the darkness.
“We made the town light up blue, probably 80% of the people in that first week after the tragedy and certainly leading up to the funeral. We still see 40% or so of those people that have those blue lights out there," Mayor Caggiano said.
"They've just been so great. [I'm] so very much appreciative. And thank you to our community for being there," Police Chief Brian Gould said.
While the police chief credits the community for being supportive even before, he said their support after that tragic day was nothing shy of extraordinary.
The families of two beloved officers continue to grapple with tremendous loss, but Chief Gould has made it his mission to see to it that they are supported and loved.
"For me, losing Dustin and Alex, it brought me closer to them [the families] personally," Chief Gould said. "The loss of them has brought them into my life. And they've made me a better person. So I love them all very much."
It's love that is hard to miss as Bristol officers were there to welcome Demonte's children back to school this year, and in March when his youngest daughter Penelope was born. Five months after the tragedy, Demonte's brothers and sisters in blue were right there at the hospital.
"I've run into the children of Officer Demonte. And one of the biggest pleasures I had...was to hold little Penelope who Dustin had a hand in naming before he was tragically taken away," Mayor Caggiano said. "So that family obviously has to continue on and raise three children, and they seem to be doing pretty well."
Chief Gould said they have taken each of the last 365 days one day at a time.
There's still a lot of sadness, and we miss both Alex and Dustin very much.
-Police Chief Brian Gould
Families, a department, and a community, all navigating grief together. It's a day that town officials said will forever shape the city of Bristol.
“It’s important for them to never forget the tragedy that happened on October 12," Mayor Caggiano said.
Following that tragic day, you might think the police department would be struggling to recruit and retain officers, but Chief Gould said it has been the complete opposite.
"We really focused on recruitment this past year like we've never focused on recruitment before," Chief Gould said.
Oct. 12 prompted a new approach to recruiting officers, and the police department has seen major success.
"The fact that these men and women are coming on at such a difficult time says a lot about who they are," Chief Gould said.
Just a year ago, the department was struggling to fill its ranks - which consists of 122 officers. Fast forward to today, and those positions are primarily filled.
The police department put together a team of ambassadors to act as a point person for questions throughout the application process. Those officers answer any questions recruits may have before they make the commitment to join the force.
"Having that one-on-one contact with these individuals - the feedback that we've received from them is remarkable," Chief Gould said.
Not only that - Chief Gould said the quality of these new recruits "has been stellar," and they all have a personal reason for joining the force. For many, that reason is the October tragedy.
"I think anytime you get into professions like these, when you talk to most people, it's a calling. It's a very intrinsic feeling. Something [that's] hard to actually put into words. It's like an internal drive that you have," Chief Gould said.
The latest recruits, now sworn officers, echo those sentiments.
"For me, it was always about helping people and being there when others couldn’t," Mark Labbadia said.
"[I] want to make a difference, be a part of a family and a community bigger than myself and just be able to go to work every day and change someone's life for the better," Jamie Genovese said.
The chief spoke about a particular recruit who made a very tough decision to leave his current work.
"And it was something that he said he'd always wanted, he always thought about being a police officer in the past, just never put into action," Chief Gould said. "And he left the family business to come serve the city of Bristol."
As the city welcomes several new officers to its ranks, they are also focusing on making officer wellbeing a top priority.
"Our city recognizes their value, and the city was able to get them in a decent position [financially]," Chief Gould said.
With a new contract, officers are getting a 14% raise - which Mayor Caggiano said is higher than any other police department in the state.
"When it comes to benefits, you know, they're always great. And they can always be better. But really, it's about the environment," Chief Gould said.
Since Demonte and Hamzy were killed in the line of duty, the chief said the police department has become tight-knit - leading each other through tough times and encouraging one another to keep going.
They're very strong, they're resilient. They're committed, and they care for each other very much. It's a legitimate family.
-Police Chief Brian Gould
And with knowing what it's like to go through such a tragedy, the department wants to help others in similar situations, such as the Hartford Police Department who recently lost one of their own.
"To be able to be there to just [say] 'hey, we're here. If you need anything, let us know.' And, 'If we can offer any guidance to you, you got it. We're gonna give it to you,'" Chief Gould said.
But above all else, Chief Gould wants to keep Demonte and Hamzy's memories alive as the department wishes to honor their legacy - one year after the tragedy.
"They’ve inspired me as well. You know, I love what I do, but they make me love it even more," Chief Gould said.
The chief expects more recruits to be sworn in in the coming weeks, and they're coming really close to hitting that magic number 122, which would mean a full police force.
There are plans for a solemn memorial to be built right in front of Bristol Police Headquarters, acting as a way to remember officers, including Demonte and Hamzy, who died in the line of duty.
“It’s going to be very somber. And I think it’s going to be a great thing for our officers and for the community to pay respects to our five fallen," Officer Mark McGrane said.
Some of the deaths go way back. McGrane showed us the displays of those lost decades ago - Officer James McNamee, Officer James Burns and Officer Ernest Schilke.
Demonte and Hamzy were added to the list after that tragic day.
"The pain doesn't go away. I think just as the days go by, you just learn to manage it in different ways," Chief Gould said.
Following the deaths of Demonte and Hamzy last October, there was an outpouring of support from the community. And where a makeshift memorial grew is where a new tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice will lay.
The project spearheaded by the Police Benevolent Association drew inspiration from the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. and is expected to cost about $300,000.
The hope is to start construction as soon as possible, and they're about a third of the way there.
“None of this will be possible without the support of the community that’s been very supportive of us the whole time, throughout this whole tragedy," McGrane said.
"Still today, you can drive around the city and see blue lights out there. That reminds everybody that's serving that there's a reason that you're doing this," Chief Gould said.
Lt. Demonte and Sgt. Hamzy’s commitment to serving and protecting is something a former training officer recalls – even from the very beginning of their careers.
Demonte and Hamzy stood besides their brothers in blue while graduating from the Police Academy. A decade later, the two officers responded to what they thought was a domestic call when they were ambushed and killed in the line of duty.
“I think about their potential futures, that they could have had. Where were they going in their careers?” Connecticut Police Academy retired training officer Sgt. Geoff Anderson said.
Futures cut short, but not before both officers put their hearts and souls into policing. A passion Anderson remembers seeing in the earliest days of their careers at the Police Academy in Meriden.
“Each of them, as I recall were hard, charger-type recruits,” Anderson said.
Anderson taught both young recruits – Demonte in 2012 and Hamzy in 2014. For 22 weeks, police training was life.
“Each of them seemed to have a deep focus,” Anderson said.
Anderson said they both pushed their physical boundaries – something he noticed in their final training exercise.
“It's a whole day of physicality. In mud pits, slick surfaces. It really tested their ability to carry on through difficult times. These two guys stood through that,” Anderson said.
“They had that look that this meant something to them. They understood what they were about ready to enter into, and the potential consequences. And they were ready for it,” he continued.
Bristol’s tragedy is something Anderson says he relates to after his department in Newington lost Officer Pete Lavery, who was killed in a 2004 domestic call.
“So, my thoughts and prayers are with them, they’ve carried in heroic fashion,” Anderson said.
The end of watch for these officers came too soon.
“The legacy is going to be of all the good. They touched so many people in many wonderful ways,” Anderson said.
Now at the Police Academy memorial, where they once knelt as young recruits, the story of Demonte and Hamzy is the ultimate reminder of service for future generations.
“You just remember all the best that they were as they were in life…protecting the people of Bristol, and just being there for them,” Anderson said.
Following the tragedy, community members and organizations stepped up to help the families of the fallen.
Wherever you turned in the wake of Oct. 12, groups and nonprofits from Connecticut and beyond made it their mission to support Demonte and Hamzy's families.
One foundation in particular alleviated a financial stressor for the Demonte family.
"They just lost their loved one, their husbands, how are they going to stay in this house? How are they going to make the mortgage payments? They have enough to worry about and we said, ‘You know what, this made such a significant, significant difference.’ We saw it, you know, with our own eyes, that we wanted to do this for others," Tunnel to Towers Foundation Chairman and CEO Frank Siller said.
Since 2014, Tunnel to Towers has paid off mortgages for families - specifically with kids - who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.
So in the days after Demonte's death, the organization approached his wife, Laura.
"I wanted to let her know that we were going to be there for her. And I drove up to visit her before Christmas of 2022. And when I got up there, I had an envelope that said, ‘We're going to take care of your mortgage right away, you're never going to have to worry about your mortgage again,'" Siller said.
While we have been asked to respect the family's privacy, Tunnel to Towers said that Laura has gotten involved in their organization and has come to some of their events.
"And I know we made a big difference in her life, and I've become very friendly with Laura," Siller said. "We don't force anybody to do anything, you know, but we opened the door for all these families to come join us."
Siller said she has inspired him.
"She is remarkable, Laura is remarkable. She had two small kids already, she was pregnant. I mean, you hear this story, your heart was breaking for this family," Siller said.
And it's not only foundations, but people in the community who have stepped up to help. 20-year-old Hayley Falk has already raised $2,000 towards the construction of the police memorial.
"After the Bristol police incident, we really took front hand on trying to support our first responders as much as we possibly could. So close to home, especially with my dad being a law enforcement officer, who was on call that night in Cheshire, when it happened, and we wanted to do more," Falk said.
This fundraising is fitting for Falk, who created the nonprofit "Because of the Brave" at 16 years old to honor veterans and first responders.
She is selling t-shirts to help raise money for the memorial, which she hopes the community and Demonte's children will appreciate and be able to always look at as a way to remember their father's legacy.
"Which is why when I designed the shirt, I wanted to put on it 'Always remembered, never forgotten,' because it's so, so important to know who their dad was," Falk said.
She hopes to raise $10,000.
"As we approach one year, it's very, very important to remember the service and sacrifice that Lieutenant Dustin Demonte and Sergeant Alex Hamzy gave that night," Falk said.
He's a remarkable individual who has overcome great obstacles over the past year. But despite all of that, he doesn't want to be recognized for it.
Officer Alec Iurato returned to the police force about two weeks ago, but Chief Gould said he never really left in the first place.
Three Bristol officers were responding to a 911 call, just like any other night, when they were ambushed. Demonte and Hamzy were killed that day.
The third officer, Iurato, killed the suspect with a single shot and in the process, he himself was shot and seriously hurt.
"He observed two of his fellow officers who he loved dearly go down in the line of duty. He himself was seriously injured and had to perform under such extreme circumstances and do something that none of us want to do. He took another life as well, so he's, dealing with all of that," Chief Gould said.
For Officer Iurato, it has always been about fulfilling his duties as a police officer.
He knew from that moment that he was coming back. He's never questioned it ever.
-Police Chief Brian Gould
"Every time I talked to him, I questioned it for him, like, ‘Hey, you know, you've done what you took an oath to do, you know, nobody would fault you ever,'" Chief Gould said.
Chief Gould said it was never about taking time away and if it weren't for his physical injury, Officer Iurato would have come back even sooner - stronger than ever with a desire to protect his community.
Officer Iurato didn't get back to us about an interview, but the police chief said he doesn't want the attention.
"He is an extremely humble individual. He is a professional. He wants to come back to work," Chief Gould said.
Officer Iurato is going through the steps to complete training and get back out there to serve and protect the community he cares so much about.
