The thirty ninth Annual Trooper George L. Hanna Memorial Awards for Bravery had been bestowed on heroes amongst us.
“There is extraordinary bravery across all of the Commonwealth’s police departments, and the Hanna Awards offer us an opportunity to honor the courageous men and women who protect and serve,” stated Gov. Charlie Baker Tuesday.
On Saturday, Feb. 26, 1983, State Police Trooper George Hanna was shot to dying whereas making a roadside cease in Auburn. He’s honored yearly when others are acknowledged for going above and past. This yr they embody: Sgt. Nicholas C. Bettano of the Winthrop Police Department; Brockton Officers Robert T. Otis and Christopher D. Perez; Wakefield detectives Christopher J. Grace and John E. Ryan; Braintree officers William Cushing, Matthew Donoghue, and Richard Seibert; Boston officers Paulmichael Bertocchi, Nicolas Cubarney, Zachary MacInnis, and Max McGuire; Boston SWAT Team Members sergeants John D. Conway, Ian Mahoney, Joel McCarthy, and Michael Ridge, in addition to Officers Brendan Bosse, Brian Carlson, Christopher Carr, Sean Francis, Otis Harewood, Bruce Hicks, Derek Marcoaldi, Frank Nogueira, Jamie Pietroski, and Peter Zographos.
Also, Worcester Officers Enmanuel Familia, Steven Barnett, Angela Consiglio, Devin Davenport and Scott Morin; and Trooper Amy M. Waterman.
Sergeant Nicholas C. Bettano
Winthrop Police Department
Medal of Honor
Sergeant Bettano was dispatched to the Winthrop motorcar accident that resulted in a stolen truck being left deserted after the crash into the facet of a constructing. While en route, Sergeant Bettano additionally obtained a report of gunfire.
One block from the reported accident, Sergeant Bettano rendered help and safety to a girl mendacity in the course of the highway with critical gunshot accidents. A witness yelled to alert Bettano that the gunman was one block behind him carrying a firearm. Moving towards the topic, Bettano ordered the topic quite a few instances to drop the weapon as he took cowl behind a parked automobile. The suspect raised his firearm and pointed it at Sergeant Bettano who returned hearth, hanging the topic.
Sergeant Bettano, with none regard for his security, rendered help to a gunshot sufferer, engaged the menace, and took acceptable motion. Although two victims died due to deadly gunshot accidents, Sergeant Bettano’s courageous motion saved numerous lives that horrible day.
Officer Robert T. Otis and Officer Christopher D. Perez
Brockton Police Department
Medal of Valor
On the night of Thursday, October 7, 2021, a number of officers had been dispatched to a person with a gun name on Taber Avenue within the City of Brockton. As the primary on scene, Officer Robert Otis and Officer Christopher Perez noticed a automobile resting in opposition to a fireplace hydrant with a driver who had been shot.
As Officer Perez returned to his police automobile for a medical bag to render help and Officer Otis retrieved a patrol rifle from his police automobile, Otis seen an air conditioner on the second ground of a close-by residence start to maneuver. As he alerted Perez, the air conditioner was instantly faraway from the window, and a male started to shoot on the Officers.
Despite being struck with two bullets fired by the suspect, Otis assumed place subsequent to a police automobile and returned hearth with the rifle. Officer Perez took cowl behind the police automobile and moved to the automobile’s passenger facet. He opened the passenger door, noticed Otis injured, and crawled by the automobile’s inside. Perez helped pull Otis by the automobile and out the passenger door, the place each officers took cowl.
In the meantime, first responders created a safe perimeter, evacuated residents, and deployed extra sources to the scene. With Otis safe and enroute to a medical heart to deal with his gunshot wounds, Perez remained on scene with a detective to proceed the emergency response.
In the next hours, the suspect emerged from the house and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Detective Christopher J. Grace and Detective John E. Ryan
Wakefield Police Department
Medal of Honor
On January 19, 2021, Detectives Christopher Grace and John Ryan responded to a request for instant help from two patrol officers in Wakefield who found a house owner to be the sufferer of a murder. As a part of a search of the house for extra victims or suspects, the Detectives entered a small, cluttered basement. Suddenly and with out warning, the suspect emerged from hiding, charged from just some toes away with a knife raised above his head, and yelled, “You’ll never take me alive.”
While making an attempt to retreat, Detective Ryan tripped and started to fall backwards whereas the suspect was virtually on prime of him. Fearing for his life, Detective Ryan discharged his department-issued firearm. Detective Grace, additionally in worry that Detective Ryan was in instant hazard, discharged his division issued firearm. The suspect, ultimately recognized because the murder sufferer’s son, was stopped earlier than inflicting hurt to both of the Detectives.
Officer William Cushing, Officer Matthew Donoghue, and Officer Richard Seibert
Braintree Police Department
Medal of Honor
On the afternoon of June 4, 2021, Braintree Police Officers Matthew Donoghue and Richard Seibert responded to a home incident. A lady referred to as 911 and acknowledged that her boyfriend had choked her and held a gun to her head earlier than leaving her residence. K9 Officer William Cushing was referred to as in to trace the suspect along with his accomplice, K9 Kitt.
The three officers had been on excessive alert as they started their seek for the suspect within the dense wooded space that restricted their subject of view. About 100 yards into the woods, Kitt sensed the suspect’s presence. Unknown to the officers, he was mendacity in wait behind a big rock solely 10-15 toes away.
Suddenly, the suspect opened hearth and an intense gun battle ensued with roughly 50 rounds exchanged. K9 Kitt leaped into motion, pursued the shooter, and diverted his consideration from different members of the group who finally eradicated the menace.
In the change, Kitt was struck by gunfire, killing the eleven-year veteran of the power. Donoghue and Cushing had been each hit, and, regardless of their accidents, each continued to interact the suspect together with Seibert. Seibert’s expertise as a sixteen-year veteran of the power and a former U.S. Army fight medic proved important. His swift utility of a tourniquet saved Cushing’s life within the aftermath of the assault.
Officer Paulmichael Bertocchi, Officer Nicolas Cubarney, Officer Zachary MacInnis, and Officer Max McGuire
Boston Police Department
Medal of Honor
On the night of October 6, 2021, Boston Police Officers responded to a 911 name from a girl who acknowledged her brother had simply assaulted her. Officers had been accustomed to the events concerned attributable to a historical past of violence in direction of police at this handle, together with an incident in 2018, when a feminine officer was almost strangled to dying.
As officers arrived on scene and entered the first-floor hallway, a number of relations had been engaged within the home dispute. One feminine bodily blocked all officers from continuing up the staircase in direction of the suspect. While a Boston Police officer tried to de-escalate the state of affairs on the primary ground, different officers tried to determine contact with the male suspect who grew to become enraged, yelling at officers, after which fled up the steps in direction of the third ground.
Officers Bertocchi, Cubarney, MacInnis, and McGuire proceeded up the staircase and had been capable of regain a visible of the suspect who was now crouched behind the railing on the prime of the third ground. They repeatedly tried to talk with the suspect from the ground beneath. The suspect continued his hostile habits and disobeyed all verbal instructions. MacInnis and McGuire started climbing the steps when the suspect rapidly stood up, wielding a big knife he had hidden, and violently attacked MacInnis, stabbing him within the head and neck whereas tackling him down the steps. Cubarney witnessed the assault and was capable of rapidly discharge his firearm, hanging the suspect, who was on prime of MacInnis at the moment.
MacInnis was capable of get to his toes and exit the residence, the place one other officer assisted in making use of first help till Boston EMS arrived and transported him to Boston Medical Center for additional remedy.
Responding officers additionally gave first help to the suspect, who was transported to the hospital and later pronounced useless. Were it not for the officers’ courageous and swift actions, MacInnis could not have survived, and the suspect may have injured many extra officers.
SWAT Team Members: Sergeants John D. Conway, Ian Mahoney, Joel McCarthy, and Michael Ridge, in addition to Officers Brendan Bosse, Brian Carlson, Christopher Carr, Sean Francis, Otis Harewood, Bruce Hicks, Derek Marcoaldi, Frank Nogueira, Jamie Pietroski, and Peter Zographos
Boston Police Department
Medal of Honor
On the morning of November 9, 2021, officers assigned to District B-3 in Mattapan responded to a name for an individual with a gun inside an residence constructing in Dorchester. On arrival, officers spoke to the sufferer who acknowledged that the person pulled the gun on her and her son inside their residence. The sufferer acknowledged that she and her son had been capable of get out of the residence, however the man stayed behind. Victim additional acknowledged the person had a historical past of, not solely, psychological points however points with police, as properly. In mild of the plain menace, officers on scene rapidly evacuated the constructing, established a security perimeter and made a name to the SWAT Team. On arrival, BPD SWAT rapidly established strategic positions in and across the constructing.
In quick time, negotiators had been introduced in, in hopes of de-escalating and bringing the incident to a peaceable conclusion. However, with every passing hour, the incident grew more and more tense. Throughout the stand-off, SWAT Officers had been capable of maintain an in depth eye on the armed suspect after sliding a digital camera underneath the residence door. With the video surveillance exhibiting the person angrily and repeatedly pointing his gun within the route of the officers outdoors the residence door, SWAT Officers knew they needed to be ready for the worst.
Close to seven hours into the stand-off, the worst occurred with gun pictures ringing out because the suspect fired and struck a number of members of the SWAT Team stationed outdoors the rear of the placement. As two of their group members had been handled for accidents, Zographos, the door breacher, with solely the RAM in his hand, slammed open the rear residence door permitting fellow SWAT members Bosse, Hicks, McCarthy, and Mahoney to offer chase. All the whereas, officers dodged a hail of bullets whereas the suspect continued firing. But, because the suspect ran towards the residence’s entrance door, Harewood, Pietroski, Francis, Carr, and Nogueira returned gunfire that finally purchased the hours-long armed stand-off to an finish. The suspect obtained instant medical consideration however was pronounced useless on the scene. Two members of the SWAT Team shot throughout the stand-off had been handled for non-life-threatening accidents.
Officers Enmanuel Familia, Steven Barnett, Angela Consiglio, Devin Davenport and Scott Morin; Trooper Amy M. Waterman
Worcester Police Department and Massachusetts State Police
Medal of Honor
Residents and guests of Worcester know Green Hill Park as a picturesque public house; However, the City prohibits swimming in its central pond attributable to hazardous particles on the backside and robust currents that may problem the strongest swimmers.
In the early afternoon of June 4, 2021, Worcester Police Officers responded to the Green Hill Pond for an undetermined variety of swimmers in misery. As occasions on scene unfolded, first responders decided there have been three youngsters in misery within the water. Officer Morin entered the water to render help and information two swimmers to shore. Meanwhile, officers continued to search for a 3rd swimmer.
Officer Enmanuel Familia made repeated makes an attempt to find and rescue the third swimmer underwater. When he didn’t resurface, Officers Steven Barnett, Angela Consiglio, Devin Davenport, and Trooper Amy Waterman instantly expanded their search and rescue operation for each the younger man in addition to Officer Familia. They did so with out hesitation, properly conscious of the life-threatening, inherent risks of making an attempt water rescue, and with none dive tools to guard themselves in a water rescue.
The bravery, heroism, and excellent motion in these repeated search and rescue makes an attempt, all of the above-mentioned officers entered the water with out gear designed to help in water rescue. Despite their greatest efforts, Officer Familia and the younger man didn’t survive.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”