Massachusetts

Slain Yarmouth Police Officer Remembered at Candlelight Vigil

K9 Officer Sean Gannon was shot and killed in Barnstable Thursday while trying to serve an arrest warrant

An emotional memorial candlelight vigil took place Saturday night to honor slain Yarmouth Police Officer Sean Gannon.

"Pay attention everybody! Share your voices," an impassioned Yarmouth police chief Frank Frederickson called out to the crowd. "Help us! I don't want to see this happen to anybody ever again!"

The vigil took place at 7 p.m at the Town of Yarmouth 911 Memorial, located on the grounds of the Yarmouth Police Department headquarters.

Residents from across the area came to mourn. 

"I mourn with his family just as they mourn, because these are our officers and we need them," said one woman. "So their safety means a lot to us -- because without them, what are we going to do ? Where do we stand?"

Officer Gannon and two other officers were trying to serve 29-year-old Thomas Latanowich with an arrest warrant on Thursday afternoon, when Gannon was shot in the attic during a sweep of the Barnstable home.

Latanowich was arraigned Friday on a murder charge and one count of mistreating a police dog. Officer Gannon's K9 Nero was shot in the incident.

According to the Massachusetts Probation Service, a warrant was issued for Latanowich's arrest days ago after he wasn't home for a probation visit and failed to appear for a drug test.

Latanowich, who has an extensive criminal record, is being held without bail.

Nero underwent emergency surgery and it's hoped he will make a full recovery.

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