Danbury honored its fallen police officers Wednesday as part of its annual Memorial Service & 29th Annual Awards Ceremony.
After the memorial service, officers were honored for doing a great job under difficult circumstances. For instance, Police Officer David Williams climbed into a car after an accident on Main Street and held a victim's head up so he could keep breathing until EMTs arrived. Police Officer Regina Guss safely captured a distraught and suicidal woman with a knife. Officer Mark Wochek was called up to the podium for so many awards, Deputy Chief Terence Shanahan suggested he stay there.
"You don't know the half of what they put up with out there," Shanahan told the police department gathering of 100 family and friends.
Lt. Shaun McColgan earned the Chief's Achievement Award for his work on the Crisis Negotiating Team and for leading the department's Ceremonial Unit. McColgan, who appears old enough to sit behind a desk, will frequently assist patrol and detectives when they're looking for a suspect. His children Kerri, Michael and Shannon attended the ceremony.
"I just came for the good," Michael McColgan said.
"I'm so proud of him. I bring people to work all the time to meet him. He talks to everyone. You can't go anywhere and not meet someone he knows," said Shannon McColgan.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
