TRENTON – A longtime city police sergeant got a final sendoff Wednesday afternoon as dozens of vehicles and police cruisers, some with their lights flashing, drove by the capital city police department in a show of respect for their fallen comrade.
Officers lined the sidewalk outside police headquarters stoically saluting the 21-year Sgt. Daniel Pagnotta III as the motorcade procession went by.
A flag outside was at half-staff honoring Pagnotta, who took his own life last week. His body was discovered last Wednesday around 3:45 a.m. in the tailgate space of his Dodge Durango, in a parking lot on College Road.
Cops also recovered his discharged service weapon and at least three notes to relatives, Plainsboro Police said.
Plainsboro Police said last week it was awaiting autopsy results before ruling on an official cause and manner of death, but evidence inside the Trenton’s cop vehicle pointed to an apparent suicide.
Investigators had not yet established a connection between Pagnotta III and the location where he apparently committed suicide.
A police spokesman said the department would give relatives time to grieve before bringing them in for interviews to try to figure out why Pagnotta may have taken his life.
Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity suggested Pagnotta and his wife Mollie were experiencing marital discord around the time of his death, which sent shock waves through the Trenton Police department.
Colleagues remembered him as a dedicated police officers and a fun, affable father of two who was an avid fan of the Chicago Bears and soccer.
Pagnotta was laid to rest following a midday service at at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Ewing Township followed by the motorcade tribute.
The longtime sergeant came from a law enforcement family. His father, also Daniel, is a retired Trenton cop.
Pagnotta III worked the city streets for years in the proactive units. After being promoted, he supervised patrol officers.
He also took part in the annual Police Unity Tour, a 250 mile bike ride for officers who have died in the line of duty, according to his obituary.
Pagnotta played soccer at Hamilton High School West and then in college at St. Andrew’s University in Laurinburg, North Carolina, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
The city cop’s love of soccer persisted as an adult, as he traveled to Spain to compete with the NJ Blue Soccer Team in 2013, coached his daughter’s youth team, the Hopewell Valley Dust Devils and was a season-ticket holder for the Philadelphia Union of the MLS.
“Affectionately known as Danny by close family members and friends, his infectious smile and laughter paired with his incomparable sense of humor and quick wit captivated any room he entered” the cop’s obituary reads. “He will always be remembered as an unparalleled prankster, photoshop master, and ball-busting legend!”
