By Police1 Staff
LEICESTER, Mass. - Amid the heartbreak over the death of Officer Ronald Tarentino, a photo has emerged that captures both the feelings of the local community and what it means to be a law enforcer in 2016.
Worcester Magazine photographer Steven King took the photograph embedded below outside the funeral home that was the final destination for the motorcade carrying Tarentino’s body.
Amid the activity, according to Worcester Magazine, King saw a young boy run toward his father, longtime Auburn Officer Keith Chipman.
Realizing that Tarentino, a friend of the family, had been killed, he told his father, “Daddy, please don’t be a police officer anymore.”
The photo has since gone viral, appearing in national television coverage and across social media.
“Steve’s photo just took off,” Worcester Magazine editor Walter Bird told MassLive.com. “It’s a combination of a photographer taking one hell of a shot, and the story turning out to be something special.”
For police officers, the photo carries a complicated, additional weight.