Jury selection began Monday for the man charged with killing a Massachusetts police sergeant attempting to serve an arrest warrant three years ago on Cape Cod.
Thomas Latanowich, 32, whose last known address was in Somerville, is charged with first-degree murder and eight other counts in the shooting death of Yarmouth police Sgt. Sean Gannon on April 12, 2018, as he and six other officers were serving a warrant at a Marstons Mills home.
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Latanowich, handcuffed and wearing a suit, was escorted into court by police. Gannon’s family was also present.
Jury selection at Barnstable Superior Court is expected to take about a week, with 50 potential jurors expected to be called each day. Testimony is expected to begin next Monday and the trial could last for the entire month.
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Gannon's dog Nero was also shot in the face and neck, but survived.
Latanowich's lawyer, Joseph Krowski Jr., argued last year that his client should not face first degree murder charges, but possibly involuntary manslaughter or second degree murder. He said the grand jury pool was "poisoned" by information about Latanowich's criminal past.
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Latanowich has a lengthy criminal history. When he was arrested in December of 2016 and charged in a non-fatal stabbing, Yarmouth police described him as a "notorious and violent criminal" with over 100 prior criminal charges in Massachusetts. Many of the charges were later dismissed.
