Press Release: 11/4/2022
Trooper George Hanna Award Recognized NEPBA Members for Bravery
TROOPER GEORGE HANNA AWARD RECOGNIZED NEPBA MEMBERS FOR BRAVERY
03NOV
TROOPER GEORGE HANNA AWARD RECOGNIZED NEPBA MEMBERS FOR BRAVERY
Posted by Tony Archinski In NEPBA News
Exec. Director Mass Police Association Jim Machado, Former Secretary of Public Safety Tom Turco, Secretary of Public Safety Terrence Reidy, NEPBA Executive VP Dan Gilbert, State Rep. Jeff Turco, State Rep Jessica Giannino
New England Police Benevolent Association noted as major sponsor of this prestigious event
Gov. Charlie Baker presented the 39th Annual Trooper George L. Hanna Memorial Awards for Bravery. The awards honor the memory of Massachusetts State Police Trooper George Hanna, who was killed in the line of duty on Saturday, Feb. 26, 1983. Trooper George Hanna conducted a motor vehicle stop in Auburn. Three men and two women were in the vehicle, and when Trooper Hanna removed the occupants for questioning, he was instantaneously shot six times by one of the male suspects. He died later that evening in a Worcester hospital, leaving behind his wife, Marilyn, and three children, Deborah, Kimberly, and Michael. Deborah and Kimberly participated in today’s program, presenting each award alongside Governor Baker.
“There is extraordinary bravery across all of the Commonwealth’s police departments, and the Hanna Awards offer us an opportunity to honor the courageous men and women who protect and serve,” said Baker. “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.”
This year, thirty-two members of law enforcement were recognized for exemplary acts of bravery in a special ceremony at Worcester’s Mechanics Hall on Tuesday. Since 1983, 145 individuals have received the Hanna Award Medal of Honor, the highest honor the Commonwealth bestows on a law enforcement officer. This year’s ceremony honored officers from Worcester, Winthrop, Wakefield, Brockton, Braintree, Boston, and the Massachusetts State Police Departments.
“The stories of today’s Hanna Award recipients illustrate the extraordinary bravery required in this profession,” Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy said. “As we honor these men and women today, we also express our gratitude to their loved ones who know too well the absence of their loved one at the dinner table, on a holiday, or at a school event, the families who endure the weight of uncertainty until he or she returns home safely from a shift.”
NEPBA PRESIDENT Chris Ryan, Secretary of Public Safety Terrence Reidy and former Secretary of Public Safety Tom Turco
NEPBA President Christopher S. Ryan who is a Lieutenant with the Massachusetts Port Authority Police Department is also an appointed member of the Trooper George Hanna Award Selection Committee. President Ryan was in attendance for the awards bestowed upon the heroic actions of several Worcester Police Officers, NEPBA 911, including Officer Manny Familia who lost his life attempting to rescue a drowning 14 year-old boy.
NEPBA President Ryan stated, “Our organization is proud to be the major sponsor of this prestigious award and we are proud of our members who are being honored here today.”
The New England Police Benevolent Association was a major sponsor of this prestigious event and as NEPBA Executive Vice President Dan Gilbert of the Worcester Police Department stated, “Our organization will never forget the heroic actions of Officer Manny Familia or the other Worcester Police Officers who risked their own lives in an attempt to save the lives of a stranger and their courage in an attempt to save our fallen brother, Manny Familia.