Yarmouth Police officer Sean Gannon was shot and killed in the line of duty. End Of Watch 4/12/18 RIP
YARMOUTH – The Yarmouth Police Department and the family of Sergeant Sean Gannon will remember the life of the fallen officer in private events today.
It was one year ago when Gannon was shot and killed while attempting to serve an arrest warrant in Marstons Mills.
The killing of the popular police officer sent shock waves across Cape Cod, the state and beyond in the days and weeks after the tragedy.
Gannon’s K9, Nero, was also shot that day and has since recovered.
In the ensuing months Gannon has been remembered as a shining light for his family, the Yarmouth police department and the community as a whole.
He was honored posthumously last week as a community hero by the local chapter of the American Red Cross, an event which his wife and parent attended.
The Yarmouth Police Department dedicated a new training facility in their headquarters in Gannon’s honor and this year’s Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in Gannon’s honor.
Gannon’s killing has also raised the issue of keeping career criminals and violent offenders behind bars.
The man accused of killing Ganon, Thomas Latanowich, had dozens of prior arrests and convictions on his record, yet he was out on bail at the time of the shooting.
Efforts are being made on Beacon Hill to tighten various laws, but no solid progress has been made.
“The Gannon family and our Officers are sadly still adjusting to the loss. One thing is for certain is that the support of the citizens of Yarmouth, Cape Cod, and beyond has been incredible and has helped us heal,” said Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Frederickson in a statement to the community this week.
“On behalf of the men and women of the Yarmouth Police
Department, I cannot that you enough for helping shoulder our grief and giving us strength when we were so vulnerable,” he wrote.
Frederickson had suggestions that can be done to honor Gannon and improve our communities:
- Thank a Police Officer when you see one
- Put a blue light on at your home or business showing you support Law Enforcement
- Work to support sensible law that protect you and the men and women of Law Enforcement
Frederickson said his department has worked through the tragedy.
“They have gone through this year, come right back to work and do the things we do and they do them very well,” he said.
“It would be wonderful if parents, particularly, tell their children, ‘just be like Sean and the world will be a better place,'” the chief said.
Daniel Knapik has directed all flags in the Town of Yarmouth to half-staff on 4.12.19 from sunrise to sunset in memory and honor of Gannon who was KIA on 4.12.18.
Frederickson said Gannon was everything you would want in a son, and a co-worker. He called him courageous and respectful.
Gannon’s wife, Dara, recently published a letter asking people to remember Sean’s memory in their own special way.
Below is the full text of the letter:
As the one-year anniversary of my husband’s death approaches, my thoughts turn to the days following April 12. The fog of grief clouded much of my memory during those early months. However, I clearly recall the sea of tear-stained faces lining the procession route. I witnessed love that day; it was a gift I will never forget.
Thank you for your prayers and your meaningful letters. Thank you for the pictures drawn by your children, for the flowers, gifts, cards and the many homemade meals. Thank you for the stickers on your cars, and the blue lights and flags on your homes. For all of that, and for so much more, I am eternally grateful.
Sean has been honored by the community in so many beautiful ways. Yet, he was a private person and did not like being the center of attention. He never sought recognition for himself. He acted on his principles and led by example. That’s how he lived his life, on and off the job. He inspires me every single day.
If you want to remember Sean, find your own quiet way to show someone you care. That note or text you’ve been meaning to write but keep putting off — send it. Take time to ask a friend or a colleague how he or she is doing, and really listen. Own up to a mistake and make it right. Pick up the extra shift for someone who needs the time off. Buy a coffee or pay the toll for a stranger behind you. No gesture is too small. To that person, it could make all the difference that day. We each have a special gift. Please use yours for someone else. I feel that is Sean’s legacy.
While my loss has been quite public, we usually can’t see the challenges facing others. But if we keep showing up for each other, we don’t have to carry the pain alone. Over the last year, I’ve watched as you wrapped your arms around other families in need. It makes me proud to call Cape Cod my home.
This April 12 will be a private day for me and my family, but I will never forget the comfort and support that the community has given us and our family in blue.
Thank you for holding Sean in your hearts.
Let’s keep taking care of each other.
Respectfully,
Dara Gannon
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