Garrett Swasey

Garrett Swasey
Personal information
Birth name Garrett Preston Russell Swasey
Nationality American
Born (1971-11-16)November 16, 1971
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died November 27, 2015(2015-11-27) (aged 44)
Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Residence Colorado
Education Melrose High School
Occupation Figure skater
Ice dance coach
Law enforcement officer
Employer Plaza of the Rockies ice rink
Chapel Hills Mall ice arena
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Spouse(s) Rachel Swasey
Sport
Sport Figure skating
Ice dancing
Club Broadmoor Skating Club
Partner Christine Fowler-Binder
Hillary Tompkins
Coached by Sandy Hess
Renée Roca
Gorsha Sur
Achievements and titles
National finals

Garrett Preston Russell Swasey (November 16, 1971 – November 27, 2015) was an American competitive ice skater, a figure skating coach, and a police officer. As an ice dancer, he won the 1992 U.S. junior ice dance title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and went on to participate twice more at the senior level. Swasey was shot and killed in the line of duty during the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting in 2015.

Early life and education

Swasey was born in Boston and grew up in Melrose, Massachusetts.[4] He graduated from Melrose High School (1989) in the same class as future Melrose Mayor Robert J. Dolan.[5]

Career

Swasey began skating competitively as a youngster in the Boston area under coach Keith Lichtman.[6] One of his closest childhood friends and training mates was Nancy Kerrigan, who later became a two-time Olympic medalist in ladies singles.[7][8] Swasey competed with three ice dance partners in his skating career.

With Christine Fowler, he first participated in the 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.[9] They placed 14th in the juniors,[10] prompting them to seek a coaching change.[11] In June of the same year, they moved to Colorado Springs to train with Sandy Hess, a prominent ice dance coach, and the Broadmoor Skating Club.[12][13][14] Assisting Hess as coaches were Renée Roca and Gorsha Sur, who together would become two-time U.S. ice dance champions.[12]

The following season, Fowler and Swasey won the junior ice dance title at the 1992 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Orlando.[2][1] They won a gold medal after they placed third in the compulsory section and advanced to first place after their original and free dances.[15]

In 1993, Fowler and Swasey were mentioned by the Boston Globe among the Olympic hopefuls.[16] However, at the 1993 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, their first event as seniors, they finished 15th in a field of 21. Their coaches, Roca and Sur, won the event after coming out of retirement. Swasey did not participate in the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

In February 1995, Swasey and his new ice dance partner, Hillary Tompkins, competed in the 1995 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed 13th.[17][3] On March 11, the team worked on two Musical on Ice shows at the Forum in Presque Isle, Maine, the hometown of Tompkins.[3][18]

Subsequently, Swasey worked at the Plaza of the Rockies and the Chapel Hills Mall ice rinks.[12] In 2009 he became a University of Colorado Colorado Springs police officer. Alongside, he coached with British ice dance champion and World Figure Skating Hall of Fame member, Doreen Denny, at the Serich Ice Center until his death.[19]

Results
National
Event 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
U.S. Championships 14th J. 1st J. 15th - 13th

Death and funeral

Swasey was shot dead in the line of duty on November 27, 2015 during a mass shooting at a local Planned Parenthood clinic.[20] He was 44 years old.[21][22]

Following Swasey's death, President Barack Obama praised Swasey with "May God bless Officer Garrett Swasey and the Americans he tried to save."[23][24][25] Swasey's former schoolmate, Melrose's Mayor Dolan, stated at a press conference that, "He made a real mark on the people that he met in this small town. He was so dedicated to his church and his community."[5]

The funeral, with thousands in attendance, took place on December 4 and was streamed live.[26][27] Speakers included Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers and University of Colorado Colorado Springs Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak.[28][29][30]

On May 11, 2016 the murderer of Swasey, Robert Dear, was found to be incompetent to stand for trial.[31]

Personal life

At the time of his death, Swasey was married to Rachel (née Aguilar) and was the father of two young children.[32][33] He was an elder at his church in Colorado Springs.[34][35]

References

  1. 1 2 Hubbard, Steve (January 12, 1992). "Pittsburgh girl fourth in junior dance competition". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Schneider Farris, Jo Ann (January 21, 2015). My Skating Life: Fifty Plus Years of Skating. Lulu Press. Retrieved November 29, 2015. Kristine [sic] Fowler and Garrett Swasey were a prominent ice dance team training under Sandy Hess in 1992. They won the 1992 U.S. Junior Dance title.
  3. 1 2 3 "Nice on Ice". Bangor Daily News. February 14, 1995. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  4. ↑ Michael Martinez and Faith Karimi, CNN (28 November 2015). "Officer Garrett Swasey was champion skater, church elder - CNN.com". CNN.
  5. 1 2 "Garrett Swasey, killed in Planned Parenthood shooting, was Mass. native". WCVB. November 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ Allen, Evan; Koktsidis, Alexandra (November 28, 2015). "Colo. shooting victim recalled as brave, kind". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  7. ↑ Siese, April (November 30, 2015). "Nancy Kerrigan & Officer Garrett Swasey Were Childhood Friends, And The Way She Described Him Is Beautiful". Bustle.com. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  8. ↑ ESPN.COM News Services (December 3, 2015). "Nancy Kerrigan devastated by death of childhood friend Garrett Swasey". ABC News. ESPN. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  9. ↑ Powers, John (February 15, 1991). "Yamaguchi pares down Focusing on a single goal, she takes lead in US Figure Skating". The Boston Globe.
  10. ↑ "U.S. Championships; Sunday at Minneapolis". USA Today. February 18, 1991. p. 9C.
  11. ↑ Clemens, Dana (November 28, 2015). "Former ice dancing partner remembers Officer Swasey as "selfless"". KRDO. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 Reichert, Barb (November 30, 2015). "Figure Skating Family Mourns The Loss Of And Remembers Officer Garrett Swasey". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  13. ↑ Blakinger, Keri; McShane, Larry (November 28, 2015). "Garrett Swasey, cop killed in Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting and dad of two, was once an Olympic ice dancing hopeful". Daily News. New York. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Colorado Springs officer Garrett Swasey, killed in shooting, was once a champion skater". fox6now.com. CNN Wire Service. November 28, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Slain Officer Swasey was church elder, father of two". denverpost.com.
  16. ↑ Powers, John (January 10, 1993). "Medalists' achievements will be etched in stone". The Boston Globe.
  17. ↑ Madden, Michael (February 9, 1995). "Davis, Eldredge eye triple crown Past champions 1-2 after short program". The Boston Globe.
  18. ↑ "Presque Isle native recalls skating partner killed in Colorado shooting". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  19. ↑ Ford, Bonnie. "Ice dancer-turned-cop Garrett Swasey had strived to help others". ESPN. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  20. ↑ Shattuck, Tom (November 29, 2015). "Shattuck: Loss of officer Garrett Swasey felt from Colorado to MelroseTom Shattuck". Boston Herald. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  21. ↑ Elfman, Lois. "Slain police officer remembered by skating world". icenetwork.com.
  22. ↑ "Officer killed in Colorado Springs shooting remembered as 'compassionate'". The Guardian. Associated Press. November 28, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Officer killed in Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting was co-pastor, figure skater". CBS News. November 28, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  24. ↑ O'Laughlin, Frank (December 1, 2015). "President Obama Praises Slain Officer Garrett Swasey: "May God bless Officer Garrett Swasey and the Americans he tried to save."". Patch.com. Melrose, Massachusetts.
  25. ↑ Flores, Reena (November 28, 2015). "Obama pushes for gun control after Planned Parenthood shooting". CBS News. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  26. ↑ Kim Nguyen. "Officer Garrett Swasey, UCCS officer killed at Planned Parenthood, remembered for his sacrifice". 7NEWS.
  27. ↑ St. Louis-Sanchez, Maria (December 5, 2015). "Thousands show up to honor life of Officer Swasey". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Funeral for Garrett Swasey today in Colorado Springs". Melrose Free Press.
  29. ↑ "Funeral service for officer killed in Planned Parenthood shooting - FOX31 Denver". FOX31 Denver.
  30. ↑ KKTV. "End Of Watch: Officer Garrett Swasey Laid To Rest".
  31. ↑ http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/05/11/planned-parenthood-shooting-suspect-found-not-competent-stand-trial/84243964/
  32. ↑ Haarer, Ryan (November 28, 2015). "Officer killed in Colorado Springs leaves behind wife, two kids". 9News.
  33. ↑ Pulliam Bailey, Sarah (November 28, 2015). "Officer Garrett Swasey, who died in Colo. Planned Parenthood shooting, was a co-pastor, skating champion". Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  34. ↑ Fieldstadt, Elisha. "Slain Colorado Springs Officer Garrett Swasey Remembered by Family, At Church". NBC News.
  35. ↑ Victor, Daniel; Healy, Jack (November 28, 2015). "Garrett Swasey, Officer Killed in Colorado, Is Recalled for Courage and Faith". The New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
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