Massachusetts State Police mourn the loss of Melrose native Joseph J. Milligan

“On January 4, 2020, the ATF unexpectedly lost one of their own. Joseph J. Milligan, a Melrose native, was the Resident Agent in Charge for the ATF in their Albany, New York, Field Office at the time of his premature death.

Special Agent Milligan was a beloved member of the ATF. His obituary read, in part, “Methodical, fearless and mentally strong, Joe was a consummate professional in his work as an ATF Agent. With a strong work ethic, Joe pushed himself to excel in everything he did. Most recently, he took genuine pride in mentoring newer Agents, and pushed others to grow in their careers. Fiercely loyal and a good judge of character, Joe was a man of honor who built unbreakable lifelong bonds with fellow agents and freely shared his wisdom and experience with others.”

Following S.A. Milligan’s death, ATF Special Agent John Paolillo contacted Major Deborah Ryan, Commander of Troop A, and asked her if the MSP could help his department during their time of need by assisting them with S.A. Milligan’s funeral arrangements. The Major offered the MSP’s support and assigned Sgt. Byron Rizos to do what he has done numerous times during the course of his forty-year career – step in and flawlessly coordinate a law enforcement funeral.

S.A. Paolillo later contacted Major Ryan to let her know how grateful the ATF was for the MSP’s help and support, and to express his earnest appreciation for the spectacular job done by Sgt. Byron Rizos.

On February 25, 2020, S.A. Paolillo and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lawrence J. Panetta came to A Troop Headquarters to present Sgt. Byron Rizos with a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Special Agents Paolillo and Panetta also presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Tpr. Sean Lewis, assigned to SP-Logan, for the assistance he rendered during this same unfortunate event. Tpr. Lewis was not present during the presentation at AHQ.”