# 20 from city plan to attend officer's funeral



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

_By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer _

NEW BEDFORD - A contingent of 20 police officers and public officials from New Bedford will head to Arkansas today, to attend the wake and funeral of the Arkansas police officer killed by Jacob D. Robida. 
Mayor Scott W. Lang, Police Chief David A. Provencher, Bristol County District Attorney Paul F. Walsh Jr. and Sen. Mark C.W. Montigny, D-New Bedford, will attend funeral services for Gassville Reserve Police Officer James W. Sell, who was gunned down in a Norfork, Ark., motel parking lot by Mr. Robida, 18, of New Bedford. 
Mr. Robida was on the run following the attack late last Wednesday at Puzzles Lounge when he was pulled over by Officer Sell for a motor vehicle violation Saturday afternoon. Mr. Robida allegedly shot Officer Sell to death in the motel parking lot, then led police on a 20-mile chase before Mr. Robida shot his female companion and then himself. 
"We share the loss of our brother officer in Arkansas, and we honor the sacrifice of Officer Sell," said New Bedford Police Chief Provencher. 
"We have a profound sense of personal loss in our department. We feel as if we lost one of our own. It's had an effect on all of us." 
The contingent will join Paul Dockery, a Massachusetts state police detective assigned to DA Walsh's office, and New Bedford Police Detective Richard Netinho. Both officers are already in Arkansas, investigating the case. 
The wake will be held Thursday afternoon and evening at the Roller Funeral Home in Gassville, followed by a funeral beginning at 1 p.m. in the East Side Baptist Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas. 
In addition to Chief Provencher, the New Bedford Police Department will be represented by a six-member honor guard, led by Sgt. Jill Simmons; two officers investigating the case, Lt. Scott Sylvia and Detective Jason Gomes; Sgt. Rita Ribeiro, Capt. Ronald Teachmen, and the president of the police union, Leonard F. Baillargeon. Members of the honor guard include patrolmen Daniel Sweeney, Emanuel Cabral, Russell Marques, Christian Gomes, David Figueiredo and Willie Coates. 
Mayor Lang said he will bring along Nelson Ostiguy, his special assistant and a former Massachusetts state trooper. 
District Attorney Walsh will be accompanied by Bruce Feno, the director of interstate renditions for the DA's office, and two Massachusetts state police officers. 
Contact Aaron Nicodemus at [email protected]


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## Buford T (Feb 12, 2005)

Stand up thing to do N.B.P.D., very classy. R.I.P. Officer Sell, you represent the best in L.E.


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

Trooper Sell "Godbless"


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