Bristol Public Schools Mourn Slain Officers, Including Former SRO

By Dean Wright, The Bristol Press

BRISTOL, CT — In the wake of the injury of one Bristol police officer and the deaths of two others as a result of a Wednesday night shooting, the Bristol Public Schools district issued a statement mourning the loss of the officers and remembering them for their services to the community and one as having been a school resource officer.

"Today is a tragic day for our Bristol community,” wrote Superintendent Dr. Catherine Carbone. “We offer our heartfelt thoughts and condolences to the families and friends of Sergeant Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy and the entire Bristol Police Department during this very difficult time. We wish Officer Alec Iurato a full and speedy recovery. Thank you to all the brave men and women of the Bristol Police Department who serve and protect our community every day. You are true heroes and we are grateful for our partnership."

Carbone continued saying that both Hamzy and Demonte had close ties to the district and that Demonte had been a former school resource officer at both Greene-Hills School and West Bristol School as well as a leader in the region’s Police Explorers programs. Hamzy also had been a leader in the Police Explorers.

“Sergeant Demonte was extraordinarily gifted at connecting with our students and those of us who worked with him considered ourselves fortunate to call him a friend,” wrote Carbone. “Officer Hamzy was raised in Bristol and a 2006 graduate of Bristol Eastern. He also was a Police Explorers Leader in our schools. We have witnessed Officer Hamzy’s growth into the role model that he was for so many of our students and we could not be more proud of his service.”