Remembering Sgt. Michael Chesna: Thousands attend wake for fallen Weymouth officer

HANOVER, Mass. — The wake for slain Weymouth Police Sergeant Michael Chesna was held on Thursday morning.

At 9:30 a.m. Thursday, police began escorting Chesna from the funeral home in Weymouth to St. Mary of the Sacred Heart Church in Hanover.

Sgt. Chesna's wake began at 4 p.m after his fellow officers escorted his body from Weymouth to Hanover. Then, the long line of blue made it's way into St. Mary's to pay their final respects for a man who gave his life to help protect his community.

Police were shutting down streets in preparation of the thousands who attended the wake for Chesna. Starting a noon, Hanover Street was closed and detoured between Silver and Rockland streets. No one was allowed in that area until about 5:30 p.m. The same detour will be in place between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday for the funeral.

Weymouth Mayor Bob Hedlund said the enormous support is helping everyone cope with this loss.

"It meant a lot for the family and the town of Weymouth, it's been an extremely rough week so far," said Mayor Hedlund.

Chesna's brother-in-law, Capt. Joe Compericho, spoke Wednesday of the family's gratitude for the public while asking for privacy.

"Over the past few days, I've been kind of sheltering my sister-in-law from the public because of the pain that she's suffering right now and continues to suffer and I appreciate everyone saying that everything is going to be OK, but it isn't going to be OK for us. Mike was a great man," said Compericho.

At the afternoon gathering, a non-profit group donated $100,000 to the Chesna family mortgage, challenging the public to donate the remainder of the money needed.

"It's just great seeing the support for the people who put their lives on the line every single day for people they never met," said one bystander.

Forty-two-year-old Chesna and 77-year-old Vera Adams were killed on Sunday. The man charged in their deaths, 20-year-old Emanuel Lopes, pleaded not guilty to murder charges during his arraignment on Tuesday.

Chesna will be laid to rest Friday morning. Funeral service begins at 11 a.m.

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MORE FROM BOSTON 25 NEWS:

• Weymouth Police Officer Michael Chesna posthumously promoted to sergeant
• Weymouth shooting: Police officer fatally shot, civilian also killed
• Vigil held to honor victims
• 'It's just very, very sad': Weymouth woman, 77, shot while sipping coffee
• Charity to help Sgt. Chesna's family pay mortgage
• Fallen Weymouth officer's cuffs placed on man accused of shooting him

Cox Media Group