By Brian Ballou, Boston Herald
Newly decorated with the highest award the commonwealth can bestow upon a police officer, Boston police Sgt. Charles Byrne walked out of circular chambers at the State House yesterday and congratulated other award winners.
He has been there twice before, shaking the hands of his peers after being honored for courage in the line of duty. This time, he was awarded the Medal of Honor at the 21st Annual Hanna Awards because he took a bullet in the stomach on New Year’s Day 2003 but still managed to assist the partners who were under fire from a trigger-happy gunman.
“I was resigning myself to the fact that this is how it ends,” said the 19-year veteran, recalling his thoughts on that day.
“It could have turned out different, but the three of us combined to get it done,” he said, referring to the other officers present.
Byrne received the second-highest award, the Medal of Valor, twice, in 1995 and 2000. In 1993, he shot a suspect that had just fired at his partner, and in 1999, he pursued a gunman shooting into a crowd and then he tended to a victim.
Other officers who received awards yesterday include:
Medal of Honor - Officers Jason Kooken, David Noyes and Michael Purvis of the Amesbury Police Department, and officers Dennis Cogavin, Robert Welby, Paul Bercume, Albert Christie, James Harris and James Morrissey of the Boston Police Department.
Medal of Valor - Sgt. Charles Daly and officers Daran Edwards, Thomas Sullivan, Robert Cappucci and Adam Gill of Boston; Sgt. Richard Tapper and officer Steven Kelly of the Quincy Police Department; officer James St. Croix of the MBTA Police; Sgt. Robert McCarthy and Trooper William Cameron of the state police.
Merit Awards - Officers Alvin Holder, Earl Jacob, Eric McPherson, Michael Doyle, Michael Mylett, James Griffin and Sgt. John Danilecki of BPD and officers Chi Keung and Richard Lum of the MBTA Police.