A group of on- and off-duty Newtown police officers and department personnel were joined by volunteers from Newtown Hook & Ladder as the Main Street flag was lowered to half-staff on Wednesday in recognition of the death of former Newtown Police Officer Stephen Ketchum.

Officer Ketchum had lost a long and hard-fought battle with cancer the previous evening.

He was well known in town as a school resource officer (SRO) and a member of the Traffic Division, where he participated as a trained bicycle officer and motorcycle patrolman. He retired in 2014 following 25 years of service to Newtown.