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The Peter J. Lavery Memorial Scholarship Fund, Inc. was
established by Peter’s family shortly after his death to honor the
ultimate sacrifice he made while serving in the line of duty as
Newington Master Police Officer.
Peter was the youngest of three brothers who served as Newington
Police Officers. He was a 17 year veteran of the Newington Police
Department when he was fatally shot on the evening of Dec. 30, 2004
while responding a to domestic disturbance call. Master Police
Officer Lavery was shot multiple times through his bullet proof vest
with a modified assault weapon by a former state correction officer
and convicted felon, who was mistakenly released from prison and
left unsupervised by the CT Dept. of Probation.
The suspect held Newington police and fire departments and
neighboring SWAT teams at bay throughout the night and following
day. Police made many attempts to gain access to the home to rescue
Officer Lavery, including use of hostage negotiators,
remote-controlled robot, fiber optic cameras, tear gas and finally
filling the basement with water to force the suspect out of the
basement of the house. It was later determined that the suspect shot
and killed himself during the standoff.
One of Peter’s passions was motorcycling. He was able to combine his
love of motorcycle riding with his professional life. He was proud
of be selected as one of two motor officers when Newington purchased
its first Harley Davidson police motorcycle in August, 2002.
In addition to his patrol duties, Officer Lavery proudly escorted
funeral processions and military troops leaving for Iraq or
Afghanistan. Officer Lavery provided police escort on the America
911 Ride, paying tribute to the thousands who lost their lives on
September, 11, 2001. He rode in uniform representing the Newington
Police Department while escorting hundreds of riders to the crash
sites in Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and New York City.
The motorcycle run is an event
that honors the sacrifice MPO Lavery made. It is an opportunity
for people to gather, to celebrate his life and to keep his memory
alive in the years to come.
The money raised is put into the Peter J. Lavery Memorial
Scholarship Fund, Inc. Scholarships are
distributed annually to students enrolling in the law enforcement or
criminal justice fields.
Education was so important to Peter Lavery. He worked very hard to
earn his Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies from Eastern CT State
University at age 39. He continually encouraged others to pursue
higher education for themselves as well. It is a fitting tribute to
honor his memory with the Peter J. Lavery Memorial Scholarship Fund,
Inc.
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