‘Career criminal’ fatally shoots officer serving search warrant: Police

A Massachusetts police officer was reportedly shot and killed Thursday while serving a search warrant to a man with an extensive criminal history.

The slain officer has been identified Sean Gannon, 32. According to The Boston Globe, Thomas Latanowich, 29, is accused of fatally shooting Gannon at around 2:30 p.m. Thursday as Gannon and two officers attempted to serve a search warrant at his Barnstable home.

While authorities haven’t released many details surrounding Thursday’s shooting, an unnamed law enforcement source told The Globe that Gannon was shot in the head as he chased Latanowich into the attic. WCVB reported that the K-9 officer was transported to the hospital where he died.

“We feel for his family, particularly his wife Dara,” Yarmouth police Chief Frank Frederickson said Thursday evening. “Sean was a wonderful, wonderful young man.”

“The sky was the limit for him. We’re going to miss him terribly. The department is going to miss him terribly.”

Latanowich was taken into custody about after the shooting and charged with murder. He pleaded guilty to those charges during a Friday court appearance.

Records obtained by The Globe indicated that Latanowich had more than 110 entries and served four years in state prison. The suspect supposedly had 28 cases against him in Barnstable district court alone; his arrests include drug crimes, gun violations, and a stabbing.

The newspaper wrote that Yarmouth police have described Latanowich as “a violent career criminal.” At the time of Thursday’s shooting, Latanowich was on probation after pleading guilty to illegal gun possession and drug charges in 2010.

According to the Cape Cod Times, Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe said Gannon was serving the warrant with his dog, Nero, who shot in the face and neck. Dennis Veterinary Hospital told The Globe that the dog has undergone surgery. The suspect is expected to be charged for wounding the K-9.

“He is stable but not out of the woods,” the Dennis Veterinary Hospital told WCVB.

The Cape Cod Times noted that police and fire department flags are flying at half-staff. After Gannon’s death, police and firefighters gathered to escort the fallen officer from Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis to the medical examiner’s office.

Dennis fire Captain Wayne Conlon, who participated in the procession, told the newspaper, “We all do the same job.”

[Featured Image: Thomas Latanowich, Sean Gannon/Yarmouth Police Department]