To the editor:

My name is Aaron Dupee and I am writing on behalf of one of your finest officers, by the name of John Mylek, badge number 17.

I was on vacation July 16 to 23, spending time with my family whom I had not seen in a very long time, and my only brother whom I had not seen in 22 years. On Tuesday, July 23, my brother, David Dupee, dropped me off at the airport at 4:45 a.m. for my flight back home to California.

After going through the check point, I was informed that my flight was canceled, so I called my brother at 5:18 a.m. to let him know I was departing on the 10 a.m. flight.  At roughly around 9:10 a.m., I received a call on my phone from a private number and was not going to answer the call. But something told me to answer it. It was Bristol police officer John Mylek letting me know my brother had an accident on his job and was being rushed to the Rhode Island Hospital to the trauma section. He then asked me if I had a way to get to the hospital. I said I did not because my brother dropped me off and my family lives in Norwich, about one hour away. He asked me to go to the nearest airport police area and he was going to make a call to them and see about possibly having someone transport me to the hospital, a 20-minute drive. Within five minutes there was a police officer waiting to drive me to the hospital.

I am writing because I feel that Officer Mylek went above and beyond what he had to do. I consider him a hero for his effort in helping me at a time when I needed it. If I had been in New York or California I would have not received such help and would have been given a number to a taxi service, but Mr. Mylek did not do that.

I would like the department and his fellow officers to know what he has done, and he should be recognized for this great deed he did for me. Even after I was brought to the hospital, he phoned me a few times to ask about my brother, which again, he did not have to do.

Unfortunately, my brother David did not survive his fall off the Mount Hope Bridge on July 23, 2013. But, because of Officer Mylek, I was able to be at the hospital on that day. I will only hope he can be given something for what he did for me because I will never forget this officer.

Aaron D. Dupee Jr.

Palm Springs, Calif.