WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — The city of Worcester has renamed a street in honor of a city police officer who drowned last summer while trying to save a struggling teenager.
What used to be called Skyline Drive is now known as Officer Manny Familia Way. The street sign is already in place, but a formal dedication of the street will take place on June 4, the one-year anniversary of his death.
“It stands as a permanent reminder of our brother Manny’s ultimate sacrifice,” the city police department posted on Facebook. “A special thank you to City Manager Edward M. Augustus and the city council for making this lasting tribute possible.”
Familia, 38, drowned while trying to save the life of 14-year-old Troy Love at a pond in the city’s Green Hill Park. The teen, who was visiting from Virginia, also drowned.
Familia, who had been with the department for five years after serving as an officer at two local colleges and in the small town of Oakham, left behind his wife, Jennifer, and their two teenage children.
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