Yarmouth chief: The system fails again
Yarmouth police Chief Frank Frederickson, still reeling from the loss of one of his own officers, voiced anger yesterday on learning that the suspect in a Maine deputy’s killing was recently freed on reduced bail in Massachusetts.
“Here again is an example of the system failing police officers and failing the general public,” Frederickson told the Herald.
His department refers to Thomas Latanowich, charged with killing K-9 handler Sgt. Sean Gannon, only as “125,” for the number of criminal charges on his rap sheet — including assaults — many of which were dismissed. With a record dating back to 2005, Latanowich had served only four years in prison and was being sought on a probation violation when prosecutors say he shot Gannon. The killing has prompted calls for court reform.
Maine police shooting suspect John Williams, 29, who has a history of burglary arrests, was arrested March 22 when he drove off the road. Police said they found an illegal handgun with a large-capacity magazine and ammo in his car, as well as bags of white powder. Prosecutors tried to defend a $10,000 bail request but saw it reduced on appeal to $7,500 and then $5,000, after which Williams was freed.
“We’ve become complacent. We’ve just accepted it isn’t going to change,” Frederickson said. “It’s difficult for chiefs to send officers out there ... we can’t be numb to it anymore.”
To the Maine community now experiencing what Yarmouth did just a few short weeks ago, Frederickson said, “We are still reeling from our own loss. I am only able to offer my sincere condolences. To hear it again, and in Dallas and Florida ...”
The deputy’s slaying in Norridgewock, Maine, came just hours after Dallas police officer Rogelio Santander was shot dead Tuesday and another cop and a security officer were critically wounded in a Home Depot, alleged by a shoplifting suspect wanted on a felony warrant.
Last week, two sheriff’s deputies in northern Florida were shot dead in a Chinese restaurant by a man who then shot himself. The motive of the shooter, who had a minor criminal record, remains unclear, but the Gilchrist County sheriff has blamed hatred of law enforcement.
“What do you expect happens when you demonize law enforcement to the extent it’s been demonized? Every type of hate, every type of put-down you can think of,” Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz told reporters.