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Bristol community honors fallen officers with blood drive

At least 60 people signed up to give blood, including those who have enjoyed working with the two officers.

BRISTOL, Conn. — The Bristol police department on Friday honored the two officers who were shot and killed in October by holding a blood drive.

Bristol police Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy were killed when they were attacked during a call. Officer Alec Lurato was also shot and injured.

Bristol police, city workers, and community members showed up to the blood drive Friday morning, set up right across from the Bristol Police Department to honor their friends the best way they know how: by serving the community.

At least 60 people signed up to give blood, including Bristol dispatcher Amber Vargas.

“This is my first time giving blood, this is really for them,” Vargas said.

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She tells us it was a pleasure to work with both Hamzy and DeMonte for the past 12 years.

“They were always singing and dancing and screaming and laughing,” Vargas said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen either in a bad mood. Even when something made them mad you didn’t know, they would laugh it off. It’s that, that we miss the most I think.”

It’s been almost nine months of missing them and remembering the night they were sent to their final call. That memory is said to have lasting impacts on these Bristol dispatchers.

“It’s hard, we think about it more before we send them and we aren’t second-guessing ourselves, we know what we are doing, but the world is different and scary now,” Vargas said. “Our main goal is to make sure everybody goes home at night and it’s scary for us because we know that didn’t happen one night and we never want that to happen again to anybody.”

There was a reoccurring theme with most of everyone who gave blood Friday. Bristol Police Lt. Robert Osborne said the two officers are very loved and missed every day.

“It’s just great seeing the support, we continue to have events, support has continued and it’s great to see we appreciate it, I know it really means a lot for their families,” Osborne said.

This blood drive is the latest event honoring those officers but it’s of course not the last. It’s also law enforcement appreciation night at the Bristol Blues baseball game on Friday night. Police can get free admission into the ballpark. Details can be found here.

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