Thomas Latanowich
BARNSTABLE – The trial for Thomas Latanowich, the man charged with the murder of Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon begins today with jury selection.
On April 12, 2018, Gannon was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant in Marstons Mills.
Gannon’s K-9 partner Nero was wounded during the incident, but survived.
A motion had been previously requested by Latanowich’s lawyer, Joseph Krowski, to move the trial off-Cape, however it was denied by a judge in January.
Krowski said that Latanowich would not be able to receive a fair trial before an impartial jury in Barnstable County due to ongoing media coverage and negative community sentiment.
Judge Jeffrey Locke said that the trial may need adjustments due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, especially as outbreaks of the more contagious delta variant are reported throughout the community and nation.
“As we see this increase in infections, we may have to make some alterations as the case proceeds. By that I mean, most particularly space options. It may be that I will have jurors distance from one another,” said Locke.
“If at some point there’s a recommendation that distancing in addition to masking is warranted, it may be that I will have to spread our jurors out somehow.”
About Grady Culhane
