Trenton cop dies by suicide in Plainsboro NJ
TRENTON NJ 7/30/20 — A city cop died at his own hands this morning, authorities said.
The mayor’s office confirmed the death of Sgt. Daniel Pagnotta III, a 21-year veteran of the department.
Sources say he shot himself in a vehicle in Plainsboro.
“Sgt. Pagnotta was loved, admired and respected by his colleagues and his subordinates. I always found him to be a gentleman and knowledgeable when it came to the job,” Trenton Police Director Sheilah Coley said at a news conference. “He is going to be greatly missed within this agency as well as the city of Trenton. His heart was here. We’re all going through a range of emotions.”
Police began looking for Pagnotta III in the early-morning hours after Hopewell Police issued a BOLO alert for a suicidal man, Plainsoro Police Lt. John Bresnen said.
Pagnotta III was discovered inside his Dodge Durango around 3:45 a.m., in the back tailgate space of the vehicle, which was parked in a business parking lot on College Road, Bresnen said.
Authorities are awaiting confirmation of an autopsy before determining cause and manner of the Trenton cop’s death, but it is believed that Pagnotta III took his own life, Bresnen said, based on evidence discovered inside the vehicle.
Cops recovered Pagnotta’s service weapon, which was discharged, and at least three notes addressed to family members, the police spokesman said.
Mayor Reed Gusciora described the veteran city cop as a devoted husband and father of two who loved soccer and making people laugh.
“Beloved by everyone in the Trenton Police Department, he was devoted to Trenton and police work from the time he joined the force after graduating from the police academy in 1999,” the mayor said.
Pagnotta’s dad, Dan, is a retired Trenton cop. He was “proud to continue a legacy of law enforcement in his family,” Gusciora said.
“Dan and his family are on our minds and in our hearts. He will be dearly missed,” he said.
Former Trenton cop and Mercer County undersheriff Pedro Medina called Pagnotta III a “good dedicated police officer.”
He “loved his job and loved and respected everyone,” Medina said by text. “It is so heartbreaking. My prayers for the family.”
Former Trenton Lt. Rolando Ramos remembered the job that Pagnotta III did when he put him in charge of the violent crimes unit in 2017.
Ramos said the unit needed “humble leadership,” and got that from Pagnotta III.
“He was a quiet guy. He wasn’t one of those rah-rah guys. But he got the job done,” Ramos said.
Outside of work, Pagnotta III had a sense of humor and and was a huge fan of the Chicago Bears.
“Always ready to crack a joke. He was one of those guys that would put things together and keep everyone honest. Didn’t let people get too full of themselves. He was good at keeping people humble,” Ramos said. “This is a shock to me because Danny was always a fun, loving guy.”
Ramos wondered if the intense pressure and anti-police sentiments faced by cops across the country may have played a role in Pagnotta’s decision to take his own life.
“Every cop that’s working, there’s the constant questions, the constant fear because of the negativity that’s being constantly pounded on the police,” the ex-cop said.
Coley declined to discuss what may have led Pagnotta II to take his own life but acknowledged the stress cops face every day at work.
That stress is heightened in the current climate, she said.
“I think we owe him, his family and his children that much respect in allowing this to pass with as much dignity as possible,” Coley said. “I don’t think that people in general understand what it is to come to work and not know if you’re going to go home at night, what it is to go to work and not know if someone is going to bring you down, what it is to know that you’re going to go to work and someone is going to be shooting at you and you’re dodging bullets but it’s still your job to go after the bad guys.”
City police union boss Michael Schiaretti credited Pagnotta for his influence on the department.
“I think anything I could say to you right now would be inadequate to being to describe the positive impact that Dan has had on so many people throughout his life,” he said. “I would just hope that we don’t focus on the unfortunate way that he passed but on the incredible life that he lived as a son, a brother, an incredible friend, a dedicated police officer, a husband, and most importantly, as a loving father to his children. On behalf of the Trenton PBA and SOA, our hearts break with Dan’s friends and family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them now and for eternity.”
It was a solemn day for Trenton Police, as six officers were injured in a wild car chase Tuesday morning.
Trenton police officer Kevin Starkey was still hospitalized in critical condition with a skull fracture that he sustained in a collision during the chase.
“It’s a tough job. Too many complain about what they don’t do,” Mayor Reed Gusciora said.
West Ward councilwoman Robin Vaughn expressed condolences to the officers’ families and cautioned against the “defund the police” argument being waged nationally.
She said that, in an inner city like Trenton, “Police departments are needed, policing is needed.”
Officials must address the social disparities that contribute to violence, she said.
“We have to help them,” she said of the cops.
