SUNY Canton Law Enforcement Day to Feature Officers and Investigators Involved in Dannemora Fugitive Manhunt

Canton, NY (03/22/2018) — Four New York State Police officers and an official with the New York State Office of Special Investigations who were involved in the 2015 high-profile pursuit of Dannemora prison escapees Richard Matt and David Sweat will speak at SUNY Canton as part of the college's annual Law Enforcement Day Wednesday, March 28.

Retired New York State Police Maj. Charles E. Guess, who was the incident commander during the 23-day manhunt, will speak at 9 a.m. in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center's Kingston Theater. He is the author of the 2017 book "Relentless Pursuit," a first-hand account of the largest search in state history.

"I can certainly claim an insider's point of view … as to what I saw, what I experienced and how we did things both strategically and tactically during those 23 days with all of our federal, state and local partners," Guess told WAMC Radio in an interview last year.

Guess' colleagues Sgt. Jay Cook, Sgt. Ronald Pena and Sgt. Christopher Giovazzino will also discuss their involvement in the operation, which ended with Matt being shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol SWAT team, and Sweat being shot and wounded by a state trooper.

At 1:30 p.m., Office of Special Investigations Deputy Commissioner Steven J. Maher will screen a short film detailing the escape and subsequent Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's investigation.

All events will be held in the Kingston Theater and are free and open to the public; parking is available in Lots 1, 6, 7 and 13. Guess will be available for book signings following the discussion.

This is the college's eighth annual Law Enforcement Day. It is designed to give students an opportunity to meet with and hear from experts in the field. Criminal Justice, Criminal Investigation and related two- and four-year programs are among the most popular degrees offered at the college.

SUNY Canton is also home to the state-certified David Sullivan-St. Lawrence County Law Enforcement Academy, which trains the majority of the North Country's police force.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service and recently received number one rankings in library resources, library services and tutoring services in the SUNY Student Opinion Survey. The college's faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 13 online degree programs. The college's 15 athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level and are joining the North Atlantic Conference beginning in the 2018-19 academic year. For more information, visit www.canton.edu.

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