As the Bristol community grieves its two fallen police officers, tributes continue to pour in, many of them in the sports world.
Both Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy were avid sports fans, and now people across the country are making sure they are remembered.
“It's just it's so heartbreaking because these first responders left behind wives children, parents, and they all never saw this coming,” Zechariah Cartledge, with Running 4 Heroes, said.
Cartledge lives more than 1,100 miles away from Bristol, but that doesn’t stop him from connecting to the pain of a community grieving the two fallen officers.
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“Everybody, including us, will make it our absolute goal and honor to help remember them forever,” he said.
That is why the 13-year-old was running two miles in Winter Springs, Florida Monday night. One mile to honor DeMonte, and the other for Hamzy.
“We hope with these two miles tonight, it can help them heal, everybody heals quickly as possible,” Cartledge said. “We hope that the whole community can just come together, with help from support across the whole United States, including me down in Florida.”
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Four years ago, when he was just 9, Cartledge started Running 4 Heroes. The nonprofit has raised more than $400,000 for injured first responders and K9s.
To honor those killed in the line of duty, Cartledge carries a unique flag during each run, which he then sends to the victims’ families.
““We'll stand by them if they need anything, we will be here for them,” Cartledge said. “We just want them to know that even though they did pass away, their legacy will forever be remembered.”
Across the national sports stage, athletes and fans are paying tribute to the fallen officers.
There was a moment of silence Sunday during a playoff game at Yankee Stadium, and in Miami, DeMonte was honored by his favorite football team, the Dolphins.
Closer to home, UConn football coach Jim Mora wore a Bristol Police Department hat during Saturday’s game.
ESPN’s campus in Bristol is lit up blue, a sign of solidarity.
“For it to be less than half a mile from our campus just hit home tremendously hard for all of us,” Mike Heimbach, ESPN vice president of facility security operations, told NBC Connecticut.
ESPN Anchor Gary Striewski, the son of a police officer, sympathizes with those impacted by the loss. ESPN is also using its massive broadcast platform to honor this ultimate sacrifice.
“It’s the smallest thing you can do to at least show people in the community that you recognize the pain,” Striewski said. “You respect what our law enforcement officials do every single day.”
