Hundreds pay final respects at funeral for Uxbridge police officer killed in highway crash
Hundreds of law enforcement officers paid their final respects Thursday at the funeral for Uxbridge police officer Stephen LaPorta, more than a week after he was killed in the line of duty.
LaPorta was helping a driver after a crash on icy Route 146 in the early morning of January 7 when he was suddenly hit by a tractor-trailer. He died at the scene. LaPorta, who lived in Uxbridge, was 43 years old. He left behind a wife and a 13-year-old son.
No charges have been filed at this point in the investigation, which is being handled by Massachusetts State Police.
Officers filled the intersection outside of St. Mary's Church in Church Square in Franklin before the service began at 11 a.m. Cameras were not allowed inside the church. Officer LaPorta will be laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery on Granite Street in Uxbridge.
He worked in Mendon for 17 years as a full-time dispatcher and detail officer before joining Uxbridge as a full-time police officer in June 2024.
"Officer LaPorta gave his life in service to this community, a sacrifice that we will never forget. In our eyes he is a hero. This is a devastating loss to our department and our community," Uxbridge Police Chief Marc Montminy said last week.
Uxbridge, Massachusetts is about 45 miles southwest of Boston and 25 miles north of Providence, Rhode Island.