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Friend remembers fallen Bristol police officer as one who 'truly did protect and serve'

Alexander Cugno first met Alex Hamzy, 34, as neighbors during childhood in Bristol, and they grew to become good friends.

BRISTOL, Conn. — As police departments across Connecticut and the country mourn the loss of two Bristol police officers and the injury of another in a shooting, a friend of one of the fallen is sharing memories of their friendship.

Alexander Cugno first met Officer Alex Hamzy, 34, as neighbors during childhood in Bristol, and they grew to become good long-time friends.

"You can’t say a bad word about him. Heart of gold, a great friend, a great person, a man of courage," Cugno said of Hamzy.

RELATED: Connecticut mourns 2 Bristol officers killed in the line of duty

Hamzy graduated from Bristol Eastern High School in 2006 and started serving his community on the Bristol police patrol division in 2014. Hamzy was assigned to the Central Region Emergency Response Team and also served as an advisor for the Bristol Police Explorer Cadet Program.

Credit: Bristol Police Department

"He’s one of those guys I can say, for me growing up, looked after me, especially when he became a police officer," Cugno said.

Cugno said Hamzy truly loved being a police officer and "he was great at what he did."

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Throughout Hamzy's career, he received numerous letters of commendation and recognition.

"He was one of those people that you could say was a good police officer because he truly did protect and serve this community," Cugno said.

Cugno is grappling with the loss of his friend, saying "it doesn't make any sense" for Hamzy to suddenly be taken away from the world.

RELATED: Timeline of shooting that killed 2 Bristol police officers, severely injuring another

"All I can hope is everyone remembers Alex Hamzy as a hero because that’s what he deserves because he didn’t deserve this," Cugno said.

Hamzy is survived by his wife, parents, and two sisters.

Lindsey Kane is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at Lkane@fox61.com. Follow her on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram

Leah Myers is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at lmyers@fox61.com

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