A Community Comes Together

By: Cape Cod Pulse State, April 14, 2018

As you drive down Higgins Crowell Road in West Yarmouth, past the homes and rows of trees slowly showing signs of life, traffic comes to a crawl at the site of a barely visible police car at the entrance to the Yarmouth Police Department.

Covered in piles of flowers, stuffed animals, and handwritten notes, it's a community's way of expressing its pain and sorrow for the tragic death of Yarmouth Police Officer Sean Gannon who was killed this past Thursday while serving an arrest warrant at a home on Blueberry Lane in Marstons Mills.

This morning, visitors ranged from an older couple dropping off more flowers to a father with his son to a dog trainer, Ann Greene, who was accompanied by two of her dogs, Tia and Diesel. "This really hits home," she said, noting that she has a number of family members who serve in law enforcement. "It's everyone's worst nightmare."

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While Yarmouth, and Cape Cod, tries to make sense of the tragedy, it is finding ways to rally around Sean Gannon's family, which includes his wife Dara, as well as his fellow law enforcement officials throughout the region. Along Route 28, business owners have used their signs to post messages of sympathy for Officer Gannon and the Yarmouth Police Department.

A GoFundMe for Gannon's family (click here) and his K-9 companion Nero, who was also shot during the incident, has already raised over $111,000 in less than a day.

Tonight, a candlelight vigil will take place at the Yarmouth Police Department's 9/11 Memorial at 340 Higgins Crowell Road at 7 PM. In case of inclement weather, the vigil will be moved nearby to the Mattacheese Middling School at 400 Higgins Crowell Road. The public is invited to come and express their love for Officer Gannon and support for his family, friends, and fellow officers.

This Monday night, another candlelight vigil will take place at Smuggler's Beach in South Yarmouth, from 6-8 PM.