Officer Gannon Honored At Run To Remember For Fallen First Responders

BOSTON (CBS) -- A pre-race ceremony was a tribute to fallen Yarmouth officer Sean Gannon before the Run to Remember on Sunday.

Thousands of runners participated in the half-marathon and 5-mile events to honor all first responders who have died in the line of duty.

Gannon was serving a warrant on a career criminal when he was shot and killed April 12. The two police officers that died as a result of the Boston Marathon Bombing were also honored.

"He chose to be a remarkable police officer -- the best in the business," said Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Fredrickson about Gannon. "Further [he was] a canine officer who was there for the call for help when his brother officers needed him and was savagely murdered."

A moment of silence was held and Gannon's police cruiser was retired out of respect.

"We hope that seeing Sean's cruiser give people that sense of remembering him and being proud and a little bit of a smile to see that he's still with us," said Deputy Chief Steven Xiarhos.

Fredrickson said, "The good in humans has come out in this as much as we've seen the worst in humans. So this is the good."

Many local police departments competed as teams to win bragging rights and a donation to a charity of their choice.

This is the 14th annual event.

In:
• Lisa Gresci