The Hanna Award is named after Massachusetts State Trooper George L. Hanna, who was was killed in the line of duty on the night of February 26, 1983. The awards in his memory are the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ means of recognizing extraordinary actions by law enforcement officers.
Officer John B. “Jack” Maguire, a veteran officer of 34 years service, was shot and killed on December 26, 2010.
During the height of a blizzard, a career criminal with a long and violent record went into a department store to rob the jewelry counter at gunpoint. The man held a gun to several clerks and forced them to open a safe. The robber took a large amount of jewelry and then fled outside into the snowstorm. Several witnesses and store employees called 911 and Officer Maguire, another officer and a patrol sergeant were dispatched. The three police officers had just cleared from another call in the area, and each was close to the department store. The first officer on scene saw the man fleeing, radioed for assistance and chased the gunman on foot.
Officer Maguire, seeing the direction of the foot pursuit, drove his cruiser to a location to prevent the escape of the gunman into a residential area. Officer Maguire got out of his cruiser on Washington Street. Shots were exchanged and Officer Maguire was struck with several shots. His shots struck and killed the gunman. Officer Maguire was attended to by the patrol sergeant and the Woburn and Reading Fire Departments before being transported to a local trauma center. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward. The lookout for the gunman and the driver of the getaway car were arrested in the area.
Officer Maguire was appointed to the Woburn Police Department on June 26, 1977. He was sworn in by his father, Police Chief Thomas Maguire, and wore Badge 23 which had been his father’s badge number.
Officer Maguire had celebrated his 60th birthday three days before his death, and had given notice of his intention to retire in October 2011. Officer Maguire is survived by his wife and three adult children.
911On Friday November 18th, 2011 Officer Maguire was awarded the George L Hanna Award for Bravery, at a ceremony at the State House. Desiree Maguire, Jack’s wife, accepted the award.
On September 6 2011, Officer DeNapoli responded with several other officers to a call of an armed robbery in progress at a jewelry store. As he entered the lot, at least one of the 4 robbers began to fire a handgun at him. Officer Denapoli got out of his cruiser and went to the back of it for cover. As he engaged the shooter, he was shot in the hand, had his trigger finger severed and dropped his handgun. He was shot in the leg and also suffered eye injury from bullet fragments. The robbers fled toward a nearby side street.
The second officer responding to the call radioed for medical assistance for DeNapoli and attended to him.
Officer Mark Gibbons was the third officer responding. He saw the suspect running across the street toward the getaway car. The suspect shot at Gibbons, riddling the cruiser around Gibbons but fortunately not striking him. Gibbons returned fire through the cruiser windshield, striking the suspect. The suspect again fired at Gibbons. Gibbons returned fire, again hitting the suspect.
Officer DeNapoli was treated at the scene by Woburn and Lexington Fire personnel and transported to a local trauma center.
Officer Robert DeNapoli was awarded the Hanna Medal of Valor on October 23, 2012.
Officer Mark Gibbons was awarded the Hanna Medal of Honor on October 23 2012. Gibbons was also honored as one of 2012’s Top Cops by the President Barack Obama at the 2012 National Association of Police Organizations Awards in Washington DC on May 12, 2012.
On March 20 1983, a robbery with a handgun occurred at a pharmacy in the adjoining town of
Winchester. The suspects fled in a vehicle into Woburn. Winchester Officer Lawrence Gray pursued the vehicle, which stopped for him on Main Street in Woburn. As Gray approached the vehicle, a suspect shot at him, striking him in the head, but fortunately only slightly injuring him. The vehicle continued into Woburn.
Officer Richard Macinanti was assigned to desk duty and was monitoring the events on the radio. Officer Macinanti left the station and got into a cruiser. He rammed the suspect vehicle, stopping it. A suspect got out the vehicle, as did Macinanti. From a distance of about 30 feet the suspect fired two shots at Macinanti, who returned fire. The suspect was shot, and fell to the ground. Both suspects surrendered to Macinanti.
Officer Richard Macinanti received the Hanna Award on August 3, 1984.