Bristol held a candlelight vigil Thursday to remember Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy.
The officers were killed in an ambush shooting one year ago, while responding to a domestic incident.
The ceremony began with the Bristol Police Department and their families walking out of police headquarters to cheers of thanks from the crowd gathered in the street.
Chief Brian Gould spoke of DeMonte’s and Hamzy’s dedication and sacrifice.
“It's not how they died that made them heroes. It's how they lived,” he said.
He added that Demonte’s and Hamzy’s memory will “live on through ours forevermore.”
Hamzy’s sister, Donna Hamzy Carroccia, thanked the community for its support these past 12 months.
“Alex would be so proud of the city and the love that you have all shown our family,” she said. “Your support has validated what he already knew to be true about this city, about this community.”
Officers from departments across the state, including Old Saybrook, Hartford and Shelton, were sprinkled throughout the crowd.
A massive American flag hung from a fire ladder and photos from the deceased officers' lives played on monitors, as the crowd stood shoulder-to-shoulder holding flickering candles.
A third officer, Alec Iurato, was also injured in the attack but he was able to fatally shoot the gunman, Nicholas Brutcher.
The state’s Inspector General has yet to release a final report on the incident.
