Honoring their sacrifice in the line of duty. Bristol police officers Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy were remembered Friday night at Muzzy Field before the start of the Bristol Blues home opener.
“Dustin loves baseball. I mean, that was a big part of like his growing up, childhood and everything," said Mona Heidel, mother of DeMonte.
For Heidel, being at the Bristol Blues home opener brought back fond memories.
“He played baseball all through not only the spring but summer baseball, fall baseball,” she said.
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Fans who filled the stands at Muzzy Field honored DeMonte and Hamzy. Both officers were shot and killed in October 2022 after responding to a domestic violence call, with a third officer, Alec Iurato, recovering from his injuries.
Before the game, jerseys with the fallen officers’ badge numbers were presented to the police chief. He says it’s bittersweet as his department continues to mourn the loss.
“The mixed emotions also come with a lot of pride, too. Them being honored and recognized and tonight especially, recognizing all those that serve on the frontlines,” Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould said.
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On the outfield walls were permanent tributes to both officers. The team says this was their way of saying thank you to the officers and the wider community.
“If this is just one small thing that we can do to make everyone a little bit better in the community, and bring people a little bit closer, then we’ve accomplished our goal,” Jordan Scheiner, general manager of the Bristol Blues, said.
DeMonte’s mother says she has felt an outpouring of support and has this message to Blues fans if they see her son’s name in the outfield.
“Just hope that he’s never forgotten because what him and Alex had to endure that night, I just hope that nobody ever forgets them,” Heidel said.
