It’s been 19 years since Joseph Corr, a six-and-a-half-year veteran of the New Hartford Police Department, was shot and killed in the line of duty.
This year’s event is a little more low-key as officials and family prepare for the 20th anniversary next year.
On Feb. 27, 2006, Corr chased a jewelry store robbery suspect into a wooded area behind the Byrne Dairy off Route 5 in the town of Kirkland.
The shooter, Walter Richardson, was killed in a shootout with police near Philadelphia.
The remaining suspects — Marion Pegese, 38; Robert Ward, 33; and Toussaint Davis, 42 — were each sentenced in July 2011 to life in a federal prison without parole.
New Hartford Police Officer Joseph Corr, 30, was shot and killed after chasing a robbery suspect Monday, February 27, 2006, in the Town of Kirkland.
New Hartford Police Chief Ronald Fontaine has been on the force for 25 years, and 19 years ago, he was one of the officers who responded to the call as backup to Corr.
And while what happened that fateful day has been picked apart by the media every which way, Fontaine remembers the days following the death of Officer Corr — and the community who came to comfort them after losing a close friend and co-worker.
“The community was nothing short of amazing in their outpouring of support to the Department,” Fontaine said, remembering those days almost two decades prior. “I remember countless people showing up unannounced at the police station; just random people showing up with a card, with food, or something to give. All because they felt so impacted by the death of Officer Corr that they felt the need to think about us.”
Preparing to remember 20 years later
The family of Joseph Corr still remember him and mark the day he was taken from them each year. Fontaine said he’s in contact with the Corr with the family and working with them to honor the memory of Joseph Corr.
“It was the request of the family to have a more scaled-down memorial this year as we prepare for the 20th anniversary,” the chief explained.
Fontaine said he couldn’t go into greater detail but was working with the Corr family to plan something appropriate for the 20th anniversary.
“We put what the family wants at the top of our concerns,” Fontaine added.
Winter weather: Officials in Mohawk Valley ask Gov. Hochul for support following winter storms
Traffic safety: Assemblyman Robert Smullen introduces bill for traffic safety memorial in honor of late son
David Corr, Joseph’s father, died in 2022 at the age of 72. In the wake of his son’s death, Corr became an advocate for families who had lost someone in the line of duty
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: 19 years ago, police officer Joseph Corr died in the line of duty
