WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A retired Massachusetts state trooper who was killed in what authorities described as a shooting motivated by racism, and an officer who drowned while trying to save the life of a teenager were honored Tuesday with awards for exemplary acts of bravery.
A total of 32 Massachusetts law enforcement personnel were named recipients of the annual George L. Hanna Memorial Award for Bravery by Gov. Charlie Baker during a ceremony at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.
Hanna was a state trooper shot and killed during a traffic stop in Auburn in 1983. Two of his children participated in Tuesday’s ceremony.
“Like Trooper George Hanna, the dedicated women and men in law enforcement perform exceptional work guided by their deeply rooted commitment to helping others, no matter the risk to themselves,” Baker said in a statement.
Retired state Trooper David L. Green, 68, left his Winthrop home in June 2021 to investigate a truck crash and was shot multiple times by a white man who authorities say had expressed anti-Semitic and anti-Black views. Green and Ramona Cooper, a 60-year-old Air Force veteran, were killed. Both were Black.
Although retired law enforcement officers do not meet the Hanna Award criteria, the committee that selects the recipients unanimously agreed that Green epitomized exceptional bravery and disregard for his safety in the face of grave danger.
Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel Familia was one of several city officers who were honored for their efforts to save drowning teens at Green Hill Park in June 2021. Although two teens were rescued, Familia died trying to rescue a 14-year-old boy who also died.
Officers from police departments in Winthrop, Wakefield, Brockton, Braintree and Boston were also honored.
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