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Jury selection begins in trial of man charged with murder of Yarmouth Police sergeant

BARNSTABLE, Mass. — In Barnstable Country Superior Court, nine out of 16 jurors have been seated for the trial of Thomas Latanowich, who is charged with the 2018 shooting death Yarmouth Police K9 Sgt. Sean Gannon.

Latanowich appeared in court dressed in a blue suit, a group of his supporter sat near him. As the day began, it appeared the court might have difficulty finding a jury.

Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke asked the entire pool of potential jurors if any of them had heard about the case. Nearly every member in the pool raised their jury cards indicated they were aware of the case.

Judge Locke asked if anyone had formed an opinion about the defendant’s guilt or innocence and 20 potential jurors indicated they had. When Judge Locke asked if the fact that the fatal shooting involved a police officer would prevent potential jurors from being fair and impartial, 23 jurors indicated yes.

On April 12, 2018, Sgt. Gannon was killed and his K9 Nero was wounded when police were trying to serve an arrest warrant on Thomas Latanowich in Marstons Mills. The impact of the fatal shooting was keenly felt all across Cape Cod.

PREVIOUS: Yarmouth officer fatally shot while serving warrant for firearms violations

Latanowich’s attorney unsuccessfully tried to convince Judge Locke to move the trial to another county and pointed to the results of the judge’s questions to the jury pool as a reason why. Over several hours, many potential jurors were excused when they told the court they had already made up their minds about the case or they had connections to either the victim or people on the witness list.

But by the end of the first day, nine jurors were seated.  The search for the final seven jurors will continue Tuesday morning.

Court documents show Latanowich sent text messages to his ex-girlfriend, telling her, “I killed a cop,” and “I shot a K-9.” A standoff with police ensued at the Marstons Mills home, where the shooting took place. The incident ended with Latanowich in handcuffs. Latanowich has over 100 prior adult offenses that include heroin trafficking, gun possession, and assaults.

MORE: Tributes pour in for fallen Yarmouth Police Officer Sean Gannon

Gannon was promoted posthumously to the rank of Sergeant while K9 Nero made a full recovery from his injuries. Gannon was praised by fellow officers and community members speaking with Boston 25 for his work ethic and empathy.

In a recent Facebook post, Sgt. Gannon’s mother told supporters she would be offline for weeks as the trial commences and thanked them for supporting during ‘trying times.’ The court hopes that the jury will begin to hear evidence on Friday and that the entire trial will last up to four weeks.