Familia, fellow officers, state trooper and civilian, honored with Carnegie Hero Awards

WORCESTER — Fallen city Police Officer Enmanuel "Manny" Familia and four other officers were honored Friday with Carnegie Hero Awards at Mechanics Hall for working to save three teenagers struggling in the water at Green Hill Pond.

Familia drowned responding to the June 4, 2021, call. Troy Love, a 14-year-old boy from Virginia whom Familia was trying to save, died as well while the two other teenagers survived.

Civilian Allen Corson Jr. of Canterbury, Connecticut, also received the award for jumping on a man who fatally stabbed Amanda Dabrowski in July 2019 at O'Connor's Restaurant & Bar on West Boylston Street, sustaining stab wounds himself.

A trial for Carlos Asencio, the man accused of killing Dabrowski, is slated for June.

Along with Familia, Worcester police Officers Steven Barnett, Angela Consiglio and Scott Morin, and Massachusetts State Trooper Amy Waterman received the honor for responding to the June 4 incident.

Love was visiting Worcester from Virginia with his family.

The city has mourned the loss of Familia since the fateful day, with thousands coming to his funeral. Skyline Drive, which leads to Familia's alma mater, Worcester Technical High School, was renamed Officer Manny Familia Way, and this past fall his name was added to the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial in Boston.

True heroes

The Carnegie Medal is given to individuals in the U.S. and Canada who risk death or serious physical injury saving or attempting to save the lives of others.

Worcester police Chief Steven M. Sargent said first responders have to push back against their natural fears to put their life on the line.

"They do the opposite of what humans naturally want to do, which is run from danger," Sargent said.

Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Sargent quoted King: "Not everyone can be famous, but everyone can be great. Because greatness is determined by service."

State Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy, a former assistant district attorney in Worcester, recalled driving through Shore Drive, where Familia was assigned to, and stopping to talk to Familia about matters such as baseball and their children.

Reidy's and Familia's sons played on the same baseball team and Reidy recalled Familia as a parent who was very involved in supporting the team.

"He was always the guy on our staff who when a kid was struggling, he gave words of encouragement to help them up," Reidy said.

His last text to Familia, who Reidy said was not the most punctual person, was to ask him if he was bringing his son to a game in Shrewsbury about 40 minutes after the rest of the team was supposed to arrive.

After Familia's death, Reidy said Familia's family showed great resilience with his son Jovan deciding to play the game the day after his father's death, where a large number of people from Worcester showed up to support the team following the tragedy.

Corson lauded

Honoring Familia's legacy helped the team rally to a remarkable run of wins, Reidy said.

Reidy also acknowledged Corson's bravery.

"I think all of us who live in this area remember that night at O'Connor's and your actions, your bravery are uncommon," Reidy said.

Corson, 30, was having dinner with his parents and fiancée when the attack occurred.

After he realized that someone was in danger Corson said he acted on instinct and put the assailant in a full nelson. He was one of three people to try to stop the attack, along with former lieutenant governor and city mayor Timothy P. Murray and Rich Dion.

Corson retains a knife wound scar from the attack. He is a manager at a traffic supply company and has previously worked as a security guard.

Elvin Familia, Manny Familia's brother, said that he watched his brother go from a child who did not understand English when he moved to Worcester from the Dominican Republic to a man with a desire to help the community.

"I personally believe that is the greatest definition of the American Dream," Elvin Familia said.

He added a request that the fellow first responders on that day work to let go of the burden they feel following Familia's and Love's deaths and understand that the two are in a better place.

Elvin Familia received a standing ovation from the room after his speech.

Students from the La Familia Dual Language School also read essays they wrote about what it means to be a hero, and the Worcester Children's Choir sang a rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings" as multiple letters and cards from children addressed to Worcester police officers were displayed on a screen.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester police officers, Manny Familia honored with Carnegie Awards