Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts
End of Watch: Saturday, February 26, 1983
Age: 36
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 26, 1983
Weapon Used: Handgun; .22 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Trooper George Hanna was shot and killed while searching three subjects during a traffic stop near the intersection of Route 12 and Route 20 in Auburn, Massachusetts.
Unbeknownst to Trooper Hanna, the three men had been searching for a local business to rob. As he found a weapon on the first man, the second man pulled out a .22 caliber handgun and shot Trooper Hanna. All three subjects, 33, 33, and 20, were arrested and sentenced to life in prison with no parole.
Trooper Hanna was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Massachusetts State Police for nine years assigned to C Troop. He was survived by his wife and three children.
The George Hanna Award was named in honor of Trooper Hanna and is the highest medal a Massachusetts law enforcement officer can receive.
Route 12 and 20 in Auburn was named in his honor. A portion of I-290 in Worcester and a bridge in Natick are also named in his honor.