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K-9 Frankie, killed in the line of duty, honored with statue

<i>WBZ/Massachusetts State Police via CNN Newsource</i><br/>A statue dedicated to Frankie

By CNN Newsource

Published July 29, 2025 7:31 am

By Matt Schooley

BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A statue was unveiled over the weekend honoring Frankie, the first and only Massachusetts State Police K-9 to be killed in the line of duty.

The statue was dedicated outside of Massachusetts State Police general headquarters in Framingham on Sunday.

Frankie was shot and killed in 2022 during a standoff at a home on Oliver Street in Fitchburg. The suspect, who police said was 38-year-old Matthew Mack, died by suicide. Police said at the time that Mack had warrants stemming from a previous shooting.

Sergeant David Stucenski, Frankie’s handler, was attempting to arrest Mack when he allegedly fired multiple shots toward police. Stucenski was not hurt.

Frankie was rushed to Wachusett Animal Hospital in Westminster following the shooting. It was the first medical transport for a police K-9 under Nero’s Law, which was passed in response to the death of K-9 Nero, whose handler, Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon, was also killed in the line of duty in 2018.

Nero’s Law allows EMS to treat and transport injured police dogs.

Police said in a statement following the statue’s unveiling that the death of the 9-year veteran police dog “forever changed the course of his life, his handler, family, loved ones, and colleagues on the State Police.”

“This memorial provides an important, dedicated space to celebrate the life of K-9 Frankie and reflect on the enormous contributions of K-9s and their handlers to the mission of the State Police,” Col. Geoffrey Noble said in a statement.

The statue is located near the main entrance to State Police headquarters. It was created by artisans from Utah and features a life-size bronze figure of Frankie atop a granite base.

An anonymous donor to the State Police Association of Massachusetts’ Benevolent Fund paid for the statue to be built.

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