A Genesee County Sheriff’s Sergeant died in the line of duty on March 10.

Sergeant Thomas A. Sanfratello (pictured), age 54, was posted to a special assignment detail at Batavia Downs when he died during an incident involving two patrons. The 32-year veteran was escorting two people out of the casino early Sunday morning after a verbal confrontation when they allegedly became combative.

According to investigators, Sanfratello was arresting one of the individuals after a struggle when he was then attacked by the second patron, at which point the Sergeant became unresponsive and was soon afterwards pronounced dead.

Sergeant Sanfratello was twice awarded Deputy of the Year by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and was presented with several other commendations throughout his career. He was actively involved with the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, serving on evaluation teams that reviewed the eligibility of other Sheriff’s Offices for accreditation and reaccreditation of their divisions and operations (See “A Recollection,” below).

“You know right from the beginning there’s something special about Tommy,” said Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron in a heartfelt tribute during Sgt. Sanfratello’s memorial service. “There are individuals who you hire and you just [say], ‘They’re going somewhere,’ and Tommy was one of those.”