MONROE, NC : 49-year-old Paul Perrette was killed in a motorcycle wreck in Cherokee on Saturday, August 19, 2017

An officer with the Monroe Police Department was killed in a wreck Saturday afternoon.

According to a spokesperson with the city of Monroe, 49-year-old Paul Perrette was killed in a motorcycle wreck in Cherokee, North Carolina. Perrette worked as a resource officer at Monroe High School.

Perrette had been a member of the Monroe Police Department since January 2009 and worked at Monroe High School as a resource officer for the past three years, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Perrette received "commendations both internally from the Police Department as well as from civic groups in the community."

"This is a heartbreaking loss for our department, the students at Monroe High School and our residents," Police Chief Bryan Gilliard said. "Paul was a very well-respected and well-like member of our department and community and we are all just devastated at this time.”

The principal at Monroe High School, Dr. Mike Harvey, said "his students truly loved "Pauly."" The principal opened the high school Sunday morning around 8:30 a.m. to allow students and residents of the community to "come together to remember and honor Paul."

Source :
Monroe police officer killed in motorcycle wreck