Massachusetts

Murder of Cape Cod Officer Sean Gannon Revives Talks of Death Penalty

The shooting death of a Cape Cod K9 officer is reviving support for the death penalty from some Massachusetts lawmakers.

According to the Boston Herald, Gov. Charlie Baker and Rep. Shauna O'Connell are among those who support the death penalty and who have spoken out in favor of it.

"You see an animal like this guy who killed officer (Sean) Gannon out on the street and people wonder why. There is no question that he should have been in prison," O'Connell said, referring to 29-year-old Thomas Latanowich, who is being held without bail in Gannon's murder.

The 32-year-old was fatally shot in the head Thursday while he and two other officers were trying to serve Latanowich with an arrest warrant at a Barnstable home.

According to the Herald, O'Connell has been the only state legislator to sign her name in support of a bill that would reinstate capital punishment.

Latanowich, a career criminal with more than 100 prior charges in Massachusetts, was arraigned Friday on a murder charge and one count of mistreating a police dog.

Gannon's own department has spoken out about the shooting, saying the criminal justice system has failed them.

"The Massachusetts Criminal Justice System has let us down and failed to protect our community and our Yarmouth Police Department," Yarmouth Deputy Chief Steven Xiarhos said in a statement posted to the department's Facebook page. "Our organization is pushing forward as we have broken families to support — a community who loves us and a coward known as 125 behind bars who has earned the death penalty."

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