The Connecticut law enforcement community came together on Wednesday to honor the 135 local police officers, state troopers and federal agents who died in the line of duty while serving the residents of the state.
Many of the spouses and family members of the law enforcement personnel who died in the line of duty attended the 25th Annual Connecticut Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony, including Caroline Quilty.
Her brother, Trooper Joseph Stoba, was killed on Aug. 6, 1962 while responding to a domestic dispute in Portland.
“Every year I've been here. It's been 51 years this year, so it’s just like yesterday that it happened,” Quilty said.
The ceremony also recognized two members of law enforcement who were shot this year, but survived.
Officer Jonathan Ley, of the Norwich Police Department, was shot while responding to a domestic violence call on January 7.
Detective Scott Wisner, of the Connecticut State Police, was shot on April 10 by armed robbers in Westbrook.
The first name read today was New Haven officer Thomas Cummins, who died in 1855. He was the first officer to be killed on a domestic disturbance call, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
The last name read was Trooper First Class Kenneth Hall, who died in 2010. Hall, a 22-year veteran of the state police, was killed in a crash on Interstate 91 in Enfield on Sept. 2, 2010.
An Enfield man who caused the crash has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman was the keynote speaker at the event. The focus of the ceremony was “Never Forget.”
