Slain Auburn officer remembered as a ‘friend to all of us’
"There's not a single person in this department that's not friends with this guy."
Auburn Police officer Ronald Tarentino Jr.
The Auburn Police officer who was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Sunday was remembered by his former colleagues as an ever-friendly face, a dedicated public servant, and a “car guy” who spoke often of his Mustang convertible.
Ronald Tarentino, 42, was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Auburn on Sunday. He leaves behind a wife and three children, Auburn Police said.
Prior to joining the Auburn Police force, he worked as an officer with Leicester Police for seven years. At a press conference on Monday, Leicester officers reminisced about their time with a colleague and friend who Chief of Police James Hurley said was a “hero.”
“He was more than just a coworker,” Hurley said. “He was a friend to all of us and someone who always made your day better.”
Hurley said his fellow officers would miss his “constant smile” and his “infectious laugh,” and added that his death was not without reason.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the traffic stop that led to [his] death prevented a violent crime from occurring to someone else, and that is what Ron was all about—helping others,” Hurley said.
Leicester Sergeant Paul Doray said Tarentino was friendly with everybody, and said Tarentino loved talking about and working on cars with his coworkers and friends.
“He loved his job [and] came into work all the time with a smile on his face,” Doray said. “There’s not a single person in this department that’s not friends with this guy.”
Tarentino’s fatal shooting on Sunday sparked a manhunt for the suspected shooter. Jorge Zambrano, who police identified as the suspected shooter, was tracked to an apartment in Oxford that night. He was shot and killed by police after officials say he burst forth from inside a closet and opened fire.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper was shot in the left shoulder during that standoff, State Police spokesman David Procopio said. The trooper, identified as an 18-year veteran of the department and a former Navy SEAL, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is recovering from surgery, Procopio said.
Tarentino joined the Auburn Police department two years ago and had already made a mark in that time, Auburn Police Chief Andrew Sluckis said on Sunday.
“He was an outstanding guy, and we’re going to miss him quite an awful lot,” Sluckis said.
https://www.facebook.com/LeicesterPolice/photos/a.664368553606247.1073741828.664347960274973/1155237987852632/?type=3&theater
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