BEVERLY, Mass. -- The signs are optimistic for Beverly Patrolman Jason Lantych, 35, wounded in an encounter late Friday afternoon with Hamilton police Sgt. Kenneth Nagy, who died later of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.
Beverly police spokesman officer Dave Costa expressed confidence that Lantych will recover. Lantych is at Beverly Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery following the attack, according to a press release from Carrie Kimball Monahan, spokeswoman for District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.
A message on the Beverly Police Department's website reads, "Friends and family have been able to speak to Officer Lantych and he appears to be doing OK. He still has a long way to go."
Witnesses, according to Monahan, identified Nagy as the man who shot Lantych in the wrist and leg and left him bleeding profusely.
The two met at the North Beverly Starbucks by prearrangement. The reason for the meeting has not been revealed.
Beverly Chief Mark Ray confirmed that Nagy's wife, Katie, worked with the Beverly police as an employee of HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change), a group dealing with domestic violence. Katie Nagy, who was paid through a grant, could not be reached for comment last night.
Both Ray and Blodgett agree that the actions of citizens who rushed to apply first aid were crucial to Lantych's survival, according to the press release.
"Without regard to their own safety, several individuals exited the Starbucks and provided medical attention to Officer Lantych immediately after he was shot until the ambulance arrived," Ray said.
"The courage and fast action of those individuals most certainly saved Officer Lantych's life," Blodgett said.
Meanwhile, Nagy left in his black Saab SUV only to return at 10:32 p.m. to what was still an active crime scene. Minutes later, he was dead, having shot himself in the head, according to the medical examiner.
Costa noted that Beverly officers not only know Lantych, a 10-year veteran, many were also familiar with Nagy, who worked a neighboring town for nearly 20 years.
"A couple of our guys went to the (Police) Academy with him. ... A lot of guys knew who he was and were friendly with him," Costa said.
In the press release, Hamilton Chief Russell Stevens said of Nagy, "He was a great police officer, a good investigator and well-liked by the community. He will be greatly missed."
The Beverly Police Department acted swiftly to deal with the shock that rocked the department in the wake of the violence.
An email sent from Lt. Michael Sungy listed the various services available to aid officers under stress, including department chaplain the Rev. David Barnes of St. Mary Star of the Sea Church and the State Police Critical Incident Stress Unit.
"Anybody who needed to talk had those resources," Costa said.
The officers most directly involved were debriefed.
"Some of the guys got there right away," Costa said. "And they saw Jay lying on the ground bleeding."
Reviewing what happened and talking among themselves not only aids in collecting evidence, it discourages the officers from bottling up their emotions, he said.
"It's kind of good to get everyone together," Costa said. "Everybody's upset. Jay is a well-liked guy among his peers. A lot of people here have gone up to visit him. ... We're all friends. I just had a 30th birthday party for my wife, and Jay was there."
Police officers grow close, Costa said, because their jobs and the difficulties they face are unique.
"Not everybody knows what we do on a regular basis," he said. Stress is an inevitable part of the beat, from dealing with domestic violence to discovering children in horrible situations.
Even the odd hours that police officers are forced to work can put strain on their families.
"All that stuff has an effect," Costa said, adding that a sense of pride keeps them at the job along with a desire for work that doesn't involve sitting at a desk all day.
Roughly half a dozen Beverly officers responded initially to the shooting, but later more and more came on duty to deal with the tragedy.
"I was there (at the scene) concerned for Jay," Costa said. "You're doing your job. Then it sinks in. God. What just happened?"
The investigation by Massachusetts State Police detectives in the Essex County district attorney's office is continuing, with assistance from the Beverly and Hamilton police.
Copyright 2012 - The Salem News, Beverly, Mass.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
