Everett Police Detective Daniel Wall Jr. received the 2026 Trooper George L. Hanna Memorial Award Medal of Valor at the State House on Wednesday, October 14, the state’s highest award for bravery by a police officer, for his actions during the hijacking of a garbage truck in July 2025.
The awards, in their 43rd year, were presented by Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll in the House chamber to 18 officers from Everett, Fall River, Burlington, Boston and Holyoke, according to the Boston Globe. Mayor Robert Van Campen, state Senator Sal DiDomenico, state Representative Joseph McGonagle, Chief Paul Strong and members of the department attended with Wall, the department said.
What he did
According to the citation read at the ceremony and posted by the department, an armed man fled police in July 2025, crashed a vehicle in Everett and tried to take control of other vehicles. When he tried to seize a garbage truck while holding a knife, Wall fired his weapon to protect the driver. The suspect, though shot, climbed into the truck and fought with the driver. Wall climbed into the cab and pulled the driver to safety before the suspect drove away.
The truck crashed in Boston, where Wall and a state trooper arrested the suspect and gave him emergency medical aid. “Detective Wall is recognized for his decisive actions to protect another person’s life during an extremely dangerous situation,” the citation says.
The award
The Hanna Awards are named for Trooper George L. Hanna, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Auburn on February 26, 1983. The Medal of Valor is one of three levels of the award. Everett earlier this year also honored Wall at a City Hall ceremony on May 26, according to the City Council’s meeting records.
“We congratulate Detective Dan Wall on this well deserved recognition and commend his bravery, dedication, and commitment to serving and protecting our community,” the department wrote. Source: the Everett Police Department’s post of October 15 and the Globe’s report on the ceremony.
