BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A sheriff’s deputy in Maine is being laid to rest with words from his grief-stricken son, music from his old band, and a flyover by law enforcement aircraft.
An estimated 3,600 people including hundreds of law enforcement officers paid tribute Monday to Somerset County Cpl. Eugene Cole with one of the largest funerals in the state’s history.
The 61-year-old Cole was the first officer to be killed in the line of duty in nearly 30 years in Maine.
His death on April 25 in Norridgewock sparked a massive manhunt that ended with the arrest of 29-year-old John Williams.
Cole was praised for the way he treated people and his ability to defuse tense situations. His boss, Sheriff Dale Lancaster, quoted from a Bible verse that says, “Blessed are the peace makers.
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