BARNSTABLE, Mass. – A Massachusetts jury found a Thomas Latanowich guilty of second-degree murder in the 2018 shooting death of a Cape Cod Police Sgt. Sean Gannon, according to reports.
After three days of deliberations, the Barnstable Superior Court jury on Friday morning found Latanowich guilty of second-degree murder, as well as assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, firearm possession without a license and mistreating/interfering with a police K9, according to WCVB.
Gannon, 32, a K9 handler with the Yarmouth Police Department, was murdered in April 2018 while he and other officers were serving an arrest warrant for a probation violation. K9 Nero was also wounded during the encounter, but survived.
According to prosecutors, Latanowich—who has been in custody since the homicide occurred—is a career criminal with a lengthy record, Fox News reported.
The Officer Down Memorial Page provided the following details:
Sergeant Sean Gannon was shot and killed while assisting with a warrant service at 109 Blueberry Lane, in Barnstable.
Sgt. Gannon and his canine partner, Nero, were searching the home and located the wanted man in a closet. The man opened fire, fatally wounding Sgt. Gannon and wounding Nero. The man then barricaded himself inside the house for two hours before being taken into custody.
The 29-year-old subject was charged with Sgt. Gannon’s murder. His record showed he had 111 prior offenses and was on probation.
Sergeant Gannon had served with the Yarmouth Police Department for 7-1/2 years and previously served with the Stonehill College Police Department and Nantucket Police Department. He is survived by his wife, parents, brother and sister.
Sgt. Gannon was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant with the Yarmouth Police Department a week after his death.
The jury had a choice of either first- or second-degree murder and chose second-degree, according to ABC6–Rhode Island News.
Gannon’s family was hoping for a first-degree murder conviction which would have meant life in prison without parole for Latanowich.
“While we are disappointed in the verdict, the fact remains that our Sean is dead,” the Gannon family said in statement released after the verdict was read. “We are completely grateful and extend our heartfelt thanks to the many members of our communities that have reached out to our family in myriad ways throughout these past three years. Their support has been the steel in our spine: you will never be forgotten.”
Latanowich’s attorney claimed his client did not know Gannon was a police officer when he fired at him. He said Latanowich thought it was someone else with whom he had a dispute.
The now convicted cop-killer was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years for the murder charge, plus 10-to-15 years on other charges, CBS Boston reported.
Gannon’s wife Dara read a victim impact statement after the verdicts were announced but before sentencing.
“I have recurring nightmares and I cry myself to sleep often,” she told the court. “When the worst thing you can imagine comes true it shakes your whole world view.”
