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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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