Swasey began skating competitively as a youngster in the Boston area under coach Keith Lichtman.

[4] One of his closest childhood friends and training mates was Nancy Kerrigan, who later became a two-time Olympic medalist in ladies' singles.

[9] In June of the same year, they moved to Colorado Springs to train with Sandy Hess, a prominent ice dance coach, and the Broadmoor Skating Club.

[10][11][12] Assisting Hess as coaches were Renée Roca and Gorsha Sur, who together would become two-time U.S. ice dance champions.

[15][3] On March 11, the team worked on two Musical on Ice shows at the Forum in Presque Isle, Maine, the hometown of Tompkins.

[3][16] Subsequently, Swasey worked at the Plaza of the Rockies and the Chapel Hills Mall ice rinks.

[22][23] Swasey was shot dead in the line of duty on November 27, 2015, during a mass shooting at a local Planned Parenthood clinic.

"[27][28][29] Swasey's former schoolmate, Melrose's Mayor Dolan, stated at a press conference that, "He made a real mark on the people that he met in this small town.

[32][33][34] On April 15, 2016, almost five months after Swasey was killed, his oath as a Deputy Sheriff was notarized, raising questions about procedures of the El Paso County Police Department.