From Survivor to Advocate: Bridgeport Police Officer Marie Cetti Fights for Her Fellow Officers

Last October, Bridgeport Police Officer Marie Cetti was ambushed and repeatedly stabbed while responding to a call. Her fellow officers did what we train them to do. They acted decisively. Two fellow officers rushed in without hesitation, used necessary force, and miraculously saved her life. Due to these two officers’ heroic actions, neither Officer Cetti nor her assailant was killed. After months of recovery, Officer Cetti fought her way back to the job, serving and protecting the community that she loves. 

But here is the harsh reality: the officers who witnessed that attack and were forced to shoot her assailant do not qualify for PTSI workers’ compensation under current Connecticut law.

Under the State of Connecticut’s current statute, law enforcement officers are not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for PTSI, unless the officer witnesses or is involved in the death of an individual or “witness[es] a traumatic physical injury that results in the loss of a vital body part or a vital body function that permanently disfigures the victim.”

These officers watched their partner get stabbed in the head and neck. They held her together while she bled. They made the split-second decision to fire their weapons to save her life. Yet, these officers did not qualify for workers’ compensation benefits for psychological trauma. If Officer Cetti had died, they would have been covered. If the attacker had died, they would be covered. But, because both survived, these two officers were denied support over a disgraceful bureaucratic technicality that ignores their incredible sacrifice.

In other words, these two officers were penalized for doing their jobs perfectly and saving a life. 

This week, Officer Cetti—a 15-year veteran of the Bridgeport Police Department, AFSCME Local #1159—bravely shared her story before the Labor Committee to highlight this glaring flaw in how our state treats its heroes.

Officer Cetti spoke in favor of House Bill 5279, which finally brings Connecticut's PTSI standard in line with modern medical understanding. It recognizes that witnessing a serious injury in the line of duty is traumatic. It recognizes the reality that an officer who is attacked, who narrowly avoids serious harm, or who must make a split-second decision to use force does not simply “move on” once the scene is cleared. The weight of those moments follows them home.

Officer Cetti, thank you for your courageous testimony, and thank you for standing up for your brothers and sisters in blue!

𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑒 𝐶𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑗𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑦 𝑏𝑦 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝐿𝑎𝐹𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑙 4 𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑓𝑓.