Traveling memorial honoring fallen police officers stops in Bristol – NBC Connecticut

On Tuesday, a memorial was erected in Connecticut to honor fallen police officers.

The nonprofit Beyond the Call of Duty’s End of Watch: Ride to Remember Rolling Memorial made its first stop in the state in Bristol, a community still reeling from the loss of two police officers in 2022.

Lt. Dustin Demonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy were shot and killed in an ambush attack while responding to a 911 call to a home in October 2022. Their photos were marked with flowers on the memorial pendant.

“It means a lot to the entire community and the police force, keeping their memory alive is vital,” said Bristol Police Chief Mark Morello. “It is far too common for police officers to make the ultimate sacrifice every day, with law enforcement officers dying almost weekly across the country.”

This year’s memorial service was dedicated to those who died in 2022 and 2023. The memorial service traveled across the country and, after a stop in New Haven, will continue to New York and Pennsylvania.

“We’re on day 39 of 73,” said Allison McCarter, a member of the organization who is leading the commemoration on her motorcycle. “We left Washington state on June 1st and will be returning there on August 12th, so we’ve covered about 12,000 miles out of a total of 23,000 miles.”

McCarter and her riding partner, Damian Ervin, said they are often stopped along the way by people curious about the memorial. They said that’s what it’s all about – keeping the lives and legacies of the fallen officers alive.

“We’re literally stopped at every gas station, every hotel, every parking lot, every stop sign – even on the highway, people pass us and see what the monument says and they walk a little way behind us to keep looking at their faces,” McCarter said. “It’s incredible to see. So many people from all over the country come together and show their respect.”