# Fire Chief Family's Grave vandalized .



## ewb21 (Jun 27, 2010)

Police say a vandal damaged the gravestone of the family of Fire Chief Ron Churchill over the weekend in broad daylight and are following leads about who is responsible for the desecration.

Detective Sgt. Arthur ----- said police believe a lone vandal used a sledgehammer sometime Sunday to hit the granite stone about eight times, gouging it and knocking it off its base at the grave in the Newell Cemetery in South Attleboro.

The grave desecration occurred the same day a front page story about Churchill, 65, and his retirement this Wednesday, was published in The Sun Chronicle. Churchill has been a firefighter 43 years and has been chief for 26 of those years.

"It's sad and it kind of makes me angry," Churchill said Monday.

The fire chief said he is mystified why someone would target his family by striking at a grave where his parents and brother are buried. "I'm not even in there yet," Churchill said. "If someone has a problem with me they should have come to me, if they were any sort of individual."

Churchill said he has every confidence in the police department and added that it is unfortunate that city resources have to be used to investigate the vandalism to his family's grave.

Although it is possible the vandal may have struck some time in the early morning hours, police believe the stone was desecrated sometime between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday after talking to the groundskeeper, ----- said.

"It's probably one of the most despicable crimes I've ever had to investigate," said -----, who is probing the vandalism with Patrolman James -----.

"It's shocking to the conscience is what it is," ----- added.

The groundskeeper said all was in order around 9 a.m. and then called police when he discovered the vandalism around 2 p.m., ----- said.

----- said police are not sure whether the grave desecration was a coincidence or whether the vandal may have struck after reading the story, the centerpiece of Sunday's front page.

Police are following leads, such as fingerprints which were lifted off the gravestone. No suspects have been identified yet, ----- said.


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

I suggest that once the bastards are caught that they be placed in a room with the Chief and no witnesses.


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## TPD Lt. (May 12, 2009)

Im thinking resisting arrest


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## jedediah1 (Jun 18, 2009)

i wish we had the death penalty for grave desecration...i think even liberals could agree with that


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## jedediah1 (Jun 18, 2009)

how about










"a couple of hard, pipe-hitting n____rs to go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch*"*


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