Mourners remember Bristol police officers two years after ambush

BRISTOL, Conn. (WTNH) — Members of the Bristol community and people from out of state, visited the memorial for Lieutenant Dustin DeMonte and Sergeant Alex Hamzy on Saturday. The day marked two years since the officers were killed in the line of duty.

“I think it’s tremendous that the Bristol community comes out to support these two fallen officers,” said Peter Clary of New Hampshire. Clary and his wife Alisa drove to Bristol to see the memorial in person.

Their son is a former Bristol police officer who worked in the same unit as DeMonte and Hamzy.

“I’m not emotional as I thought I was going to be because I’m actually at peace with seeing that and how much Bristol has done and continues to do,” said Alisa Clary when she saw the memorial.

The memorial was a cruiser parked outside the department in 2022 following the ambush attack. It became the site where hundreds left flowers and candles. The police department preserved a door with messages and is now part of the display at police headquarters.

“It is to honor incredible human beings that they were and the amazing lives that they led,” said Bristol Police Chief Mark Morello during a ceremony unveiling the memorial Friday.

Over the past two years, the community has come together for dozens of fundraisers, charity sports games, and ceremonies. Saturday night, blue lights were on outside homes across the city. It was a show of support for Bristol police and law enforcement everywhere.

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