Officer of 30 years is remembered

A deceased Somerville police officer was honored in Union Square Friday morning when countless cops, an old-fashioned vehicle and a riderless horse filled the streets.

Detective Daniel J. Ryan was an active duty officer when he passed away August 16, said Lieutenant Paul Upton.

"It is tradition to honor the life of an officer who passed away while still an active officer in a big way, and we felt Dan certainly deserved it," he said.

The funeral procession included fifteen cars, a riderless horse and a bagpipe player.

The presence of the riderless horse with spurs turned backwards is military tradition appropriate for Ryan, said Upton.

"Dan loved horses. He worked with them on the job and also raised them on his own. It was a perfect way to remember him. It may sound strange, but the horses he cared for so lovingly, are going to miss him too," he said.

Upton said Ryan will be laid to rest at the National Cemetery in Bourne, Massachusetts.