Massachusetts Police Association Honors Yarmouth Officers in Gannon Shooting Aftermath

Tim Dunn/CapeCod.com

PLYMOUTH – Slain Yarmouth Police Sergeant Sean Gannon was honored at the Massachusetts Police Association convention on Thursday.

State Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro) was also recognized with the organization’s “Legislator of the Year Award.”

Gannon, who was killed in April while serving an arrest warrant to 29-year-old career criminal Thomas Latonwich, was honored along with other officers and department staffers for their actions following tragedy.

“It’s kind of a bitter sweet. Obviously Sean was a friend of a lot of people in the department and it was a loss we’re going to feel for a long time, between both Yarmouth and Barnstable,” said Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend.

“There were a lot of people who really did some tremendous things that day. They did their job, they answered the call, and they were really there when somebody else needed them. I think it’s a nice thing that people are stepping forward and recognizing them for it. It’s kind of tough because it reminds you of a tough day. But, unfortunately in this job you’re expected to be there for a lot of bad days.”

For his care of Gannon’s K-9 partner Nero, who was injured in the shooting, retired Yarmouth K-9 Officer Peter McClelland received the association’s Distinguished Service Medal.

Following the recognition of Gannon and the Yarmouth Police Department, Cyr was awarded the “Legislator of the Year” award from the association. Cyr received the award for sponsoring successful legislation that increased funding for local police training in the 2019 fiscal budget.

“It’s just a real honor to have the support of the Mass. Police Association and to receive this award today. Supporting municipal police training is a good idea and it languished on Beacon Hill for far too long,” Cyr said.

“I’m just really glad that we got that done and was proud to have been a part of that, but a lot of other folks helped make that happen. Through this bill we’re doing right by the men and women in blue who serve us every day,” he said.

More than 500 delegates attended the event at 1620 Hotel in Plymouth.

U.S. Senate Candidate Geoff Diehl was also on hand for the event. Diehl spoke with and posed for pictures with members of the Taunton and New Bedford Police Departments.

The two departments are the latest addition to a lengthy list of police endorsements for Diehl, who has received the most police backing of any statewide candidate in Massachusetts history.

By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center

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