Naugatuck Police officers past and present gathered in front of the police department on Thursday morning to remember Officer Nancy Nichols, who was killed on St. Patrick’s Day in 1991.
A passing vehicle hit her while she was assisting another officer on a traffic stop.
Members of the color guard hung the American flag at half-staff, then roll call over the main radio broadcast.
“She is not going to answer that call and it is pretty hard to listen to but, the purpose it serves is very meaningful,” Naugatuck Police Administrative Lieutenant Bryan Cammarata said.
The department holds the ceremony every year and they are joined by Officer Nichols’ growing family.
“My niece was just a baby when Nancy died and now she is here with her daughter, so it is important for all of them to be here and to remember her,” Christina DaSilva, Nichols’ sister, said.
Nichols was the only officer ever killed in the line of duty in the Naugatuck Police Department and the first female officer killed in the state of Connecticut.
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Family members said it never gets easier, but they want people to know how much she enjoyed serving the community.
"It was very important for her to do the job that she did and she did it well I think and the town meant a lot to her,” DaSilva said.
