Patrolman Gerard Francis DuFresne

Gerard Francis DuFresne

Patrolman Gerard DuFresne was struck and killed by a drunk driver while attempting to stop the vehicle.

He was on foot patrol in the center of town when he heard a radio call from an officer that he was following a car being driven erratically. As the car approached Patrolman DuFresne's position he stepped into the roadway in an attempt to get the driver to stop. The vehicle instead struck the officer and continued down the street where it finally flipped over and the suspect was apprehended. The suspect claimed that he could have avoided Patrolman DuFresne but decided to strike him instead of striking a building. The suspect was sentenced to three years in prison.

Patrolman DuFresne, a U.S. Navy veteran, had been with the agency for three months and was survived by his wife. He is buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Randolph, Massachusetts.