Our hearts are simply...broken. Yet light can break the darkness and there we find faith, hope and love. The following is a testament to the human spirit that from great tragedy - when chaos can prevail - we find acts of love, kindness and care because this could have been my sister, husband, aunt, parents, co-worker, and child.
Newton Police Officer:
I have been a Police Officer for 11 years. I am often asked, What is the craziest or worst thing you have ever seen. I hate this question. I have to think about what this person wants me to tell them. Is it the many calls for alarms or neighbor complaints? The house breaks, the robberies, or all the little things. I know they don't want to hear about all the suicides, or gruesome car accidents I have seen. Or all the elderly people who passed away by falling down the steps and not found for several days until their mail man calls us to say they haven't taken in their mail because their kids are not around to care for them. I could probably tell you about every suicide I have been to. Having to tell the parents who just found their teenager hanging, or over dosed that it will be OK. Or telling the children that mommy or daddy is not coming home. It's a difficult question.
Yesterday I woke up, happy to go to work on one of my favorite days of the year. I got my assignment on the motorcycle, MC3. Patrol Comm ave to the Boston line. The historic Heart Break Hill. A hill I conquered in 2010 when I completed a life long goal to run the historic 26.2 miles. I was standing along the route when I ran into an old friend that I haven't seen in about 15 years. I met his 3 children as they waited for their mother to pass by. I saw fellow co workers and wives run by as everyone cheered them on. I watched Dick Hoyt push his son Rick in his wheelchair up Heart Break hill for the 31st time. I was standing with my Sergeant and another officer as their wives and kids came to visit them at work. They gave them kisses and bid them fair well.
It was then that a National Guardsman came over to us and asked if we heard anything about an explosion. And then it came over our radio. "Newton control to all officers, there were two explosions at the finish line, be on alert." I jumped on the bike and headed for the Boston Line at BC. After some confusion we were given the order to stop the race. Stop the Boston Marathon? Never in a million years would I believe I would have to stop the Boston Marathon. Myself and other officer made a human barricade and stopped the runners. They were beginning to hear about what happened and asking us questions we did not know the answers to. What do we do next. This is when it all came to light and to say I am proud to serve with the people I do. Immediately a joint effort was made between Newton, Boston, State, and Boston College Police. We opened up St. Ignatius church and set up a shelter. About 200-300 runners entered as we tried to make arraignments for family to pick them up. BC brought food and drinks for them. Students brought phone chargers for people who had dead batteries. We announced the names of people over the loud speaker as family members showed up and people cheered. People were translating for runners that were from other countries. Everyone came together. After a few hours I was given the assignment to escort the remaining runners who needed to back to Boston.
We loaded up 6 buses with about 300 people and along with State Police and Middlesex sheriffs, we began the convoy. 15 motorcycles and 3 cruiser. We brought them all the way into the Castle where runners were taken after the explosion. Seeing all aspects of law enforcement driving around an empty city was crazy. Bomb trucks with guys riding on the back, Dogs, trucks, FBI, ATF, Boston, Transit, Brookline, everyone. You name it they were there. The few people we saw walking were video taping us as we passed with the buses.
Rich and I drove back slow. We rode down Comm Ave into Kenmore and kept looking down Boylston St toward the finish line, all lit up with temporary lights. Media everywhere. It was like a movie set.
I received Facebook messages from people I haven't seen since high school. Texts from family members telling me to stay safe. I felt like I wasn't doing enough to help. I wanted to do more. I headed home to my wife and kids. I can not imagine what the victims' and their family are going through. The little boy who lost his life. The hundreds of injured. I gave my wife and two sons a kiss and thanked God for my blessings.
I woke up today only to realize it was not a dream, it really happened. So for now on when I am asked the question, what is the craziest thing you have seen as a Newton Police Officer, I know how to respond. April 15, 2013
I have been a Police Officer for 11 years. I am often asked, What is the craziest or worst thing you have ever seen. I hate this question. I have to think about what this person wants me to tell them. Is it the many calls for alarms or neighbor complaints? The house breaks, the robberies, or all the little things. I know they don't want to hear about all the suicides, or gruesome car accidents I have seen. Or all the elderly people who passed away by falling down the steps and not found for several days until their mail man calls us to say they haven't taken in their mail because their kids are not around to care for them. I could probably tell you about every suicide I have been to. Having to tell the parents who just found their teenager hanging, or over dosed that it will be OK. Or telling the children that mommy or daddy is not coming home. It's a difficult question.
Yesterday I woke up, happy to go to work on one of my favorite days of the year. I got my assignment on the motorcycle, MC3. Patrol Comm ave to the Boston line. The historic Heart Break Hill. A hill I conquered in 2010 when I completed a life long goal to run the historic 26.2 miles. I was standing along the route when I ran into an old friend that I haven't seen in about 15 years. I met his 3 children as they waited for their mother to pass by. I saw fellow co workers and wives run by as everyone cheered them on. I watched Dick Hoyt push his son Rick in his wheelchair up Heart Break hill for the 31st time. I was standing with my Sergeant and another officer as their wives and kids came to visit them at work. They gave them kisses and bid them fair well.
It was then that a National Guardsman came over to us and asked if we heard anything about an explosion. And then it came over our radio. "Newton control to all officers, there were two explosions at the finish line, be on alert." I jumped on the bike and headed for the Boston Line at BC. After some confusion we were given the order to stop the race. Stop the Boston Marathon? Never in a million years would I believe I would have to stop the Boston Marathon. Myself and other officer made a human barricade and stopped the runners. They were beginning to hear about what happened and asking us questions we did not know the answers to. What do we do next. This is when it all came to light and to say I am proud to serve with the people I do. Immediately a joint effort was made between Newton, Boston, State, and Boston College Police. We opened up St. Ignatius church and set up a shelter. About 200-300 runners entered as we tried to make arraignments for family to pick them up. BC brought food and drinks for them. Students brought phone chargers for people who had dead batteries. We announced the names of people over the loud speaker as family members showed up and people cheered. People were translating for runners that were from other countries. Everyone came together. After a few hours I was given the assignment to escort the remaining runners who needed to back to Boston.
We loaded up 6 buses with about 300 people and along with State Police and Middlesex sheriffs, we began the convoy. 15 motorcycles and 3 cruiser. We brought them all the way into the Castle where runners were taken after the explosion. Seeing all aspects of law enforcement driving around an empty city was crazy. Bomb trucks with guys riding on the back, Dogs, trucks, FBI, ATF, Boston, Transit, Brookline, everyone. You name it they were there. The few people we saw walking were video taping us as we passed with the buses.
Rich and I drove back slow. We rode down Comm Ave into Kenmore and kept looking down Boylston St toward the finish line, all lit up with temporary lights. Media everywhere. It was like a movie set.
I received Facebook messages from people I haven't seen since high school. Texts from family members telling me to stay safe. I felt like I wasn't doing enough to help. I wanted to do more. I headed home to my wife and kids. I can not imagine what the victims' and their family are going through. The little boy who lost his life. The hundreds of injured. I gave my wife and two sons a kiss and thanked God for my blessings.
I woke up today only to realize it was not a dream, it really happened. So for now on when I am asked the question, what is the craziest thing you have seen as a Newton Police Officer, I know how to respond. April 15, 2013
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