State Police Office of Media Relations
Daytime (508) 820-2623
Nights & Weekends (508) 820-2121

Recognizing the selfless bravery that police officers throughout the state may be called to perform on any given day, Governor Deval Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray today honored the courageous actions of law enforcement officers at the annual awards ceremony named for Massachusetts State Trooper George L. Hanna Jr., who was killed in the line of duty in 1983.

The 26th annual presentation of the Trooper George L. Hanna Jr. Memorial Awards for Bravery recognized 27 local police officers and one state trooper involved in 11 separate incidents comprising a range of heroic actions, including apprehending armed suspects, rescuing two workers in a manhole stricken by noxious fumes, and subduing a gunman who had opened fire in a crowded nightclub.

Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray addressed the honorees and their family members, friends and colleagues gathered in the House Chamber of the State House. The ceremony, led by master of ceremonies Public Safety Secretary Kevin M. Burke, featured honor guards from the State Police, Boston Police, Brockton Police and Framingham Police Departments.

“I congratulate the Hanna award recipients, and thank them sincerely for their service,” said Governor Patrick. "These brave public servants have confronted extraordinary circumstances with courage and compassion, and made our communities better.”

Lieutenant Governor Murray thanked those who stand behind the honorees at home.  “Our police officers deserve tremendous respect and honor for their continuous bravery,” said the lieutenant governor. “Their families also make countless sacrifices, which also demand our recognition and respect, as they so generously allow their loved ones to accept personal risk to protect the greater good for our Commonwealth.”
 
Trooper George L. Hanna had been a member of the State Police for nearly 10 years when, on the night of Feb. 26, 1983, he was fatally shot by three assailants after stopping a motor vehicle in the town of Auburn. Trooper Hanna left his wife Marilyn and three children, Deborah, Kimberly and Michael. The Hanna Awards have become a symbol of prestige within the law enforcement community and the Commonwealth as a whole.

This year’s award winners are as follows.

Meritorious Recognition

Boston Police Department: Sergeant Thomas Foley, Officer Anthony Serra, Officer John Conway, Officer Daniel Griffin, Officer Dean Bickerton, Officer Joel Resil, Officer Anthony Williams, Officer Lynwood Jenkins, Officer James Clark, Officer Daran Edwards.
Massachusetts State Police: Trooper Shawn Riley.

Medal of Merit

Boston Police Department: Officer Peter Fontanez, Officer Gregory Dankers, Officer Thomas Pratt.
Boston College Police Department: Officer Martin Curley.

Medal of Valor

Boston Police Department: Detective Brian M. Smigielski.
Brockton Police Department: Officer Edward Cruickshank, Officer Thomas Hyland.
Revere Police Department: Lieutenant John Azzari.
Springfield Police Department: Officer Thomas Liebel.

Medal of Honor

Revere Police Department: Officer James Rose.
Springfield Police Department: Officer Kevin Fitzgerald.
Boston Police Department: Officer Brian Leahy.
Brockton Police Department: Officer William Carpenter, Officer Matthew Graham.
Framingham Police Department: Detective Lenny Pini, Officer John Moore.