Injured MBTA Officer from Winchester, Others Honored in Watertown

Watertown finally got the chance to show their appreciation for the work of the first responders—including Winchester native and injured MBTA Officer Richard "Dic" Donohue—on April 19, and those at Perkins School for the Blind Thursday night did it with gusto.

The evening was billed as a celebration for Watertown’s first responders, but it went far beyond that.

Members of the Watertown Police, Fire and Public Works got their due for the heroic work on the night that the Boston Marathon Bombers came to Watertown.

Watertown Town Manager Michael Driscoll saluted the first responders for leaping into action on April 19.

“Our Watertown found ourselves connected to tragedy,” Driscoll said. “I know we would be safe with our first responders and those from other communities there.”

Special Guests

They were not the only ones in attendance, however. Donohue, the MBTA officer injured in the firefight on Laurel Street, came to the celebration, as did David Henneberry, the man who discovered Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in his boat behind his Franklin Street home.

Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau thanked Henneberry and gave him a plaque with a Watertown Police hat and an inscription on it.
“He’s the guy that ended the siege in town. He’s the guy who made the town safe again,” Deveau said. “We can’t thank him enough.”

Donohue was one of the officers who sped to Watertown when the Watertown Police officers called for help while under fire by the bombing suspects. Watertown Sgt. John MacLellan, who was the second on the scene, put out the call and said it is “a wonderful feeling” to know that when he needed help officers from neighboring cities jumped into action.

MacLellan said he was glad to see Donohue at the celebration. It was a much better situation that when he first laid eyes on him.

“Dic, great to see you standing, great to see you smiling,” MacLellan said. “I had never met him before that night and when I first saw him he was not with him.”

Donohue was hit by a bullet during the firefight and nearly bled to death on the streets of Watertown. But Watertown Police officers did all they could to stop or at least slow the bleeding, and then Watertown firefighters James Caruso and Patrick Menton braved the still treacherous shootout scene to tend to Donohue and rush him to Mount Auburn Hospital.

While the stories of the police and fire departments have been told many times, Driscoll said the Public Works Department also played a crucial role.

“It is no small feat to close the four square miles of this town and perform other tasks,” Driscoll said.

Watertown Public Works Superintendent Gerald Mee thanked the town and the public for recognizing the DPW’s work, which usually goes on quietly.

“Tonight is extremely special because we are being recognized for the work we do for other departments,” Mee said.

Thank Yous

Thursday’s celebration did not end with Watertown’s first responders. Deveau also welcomed and thanked members of the Cambridge, Boston and MBTA police departments and the State Police who rushed to town when Watertown called for help during the firefight in the East End.

Each group got one of the plaques with the WPD hat, as did Donohue and others.

Several people wanted to recognize Watertown – the town, the people and the help provided that day.

Early on the morning of April 19, Deveau and Driscoll got onto a conference call with Gov. Deval Patrick and the governor asked if they could close the town and have residents “shelter in place,” while the search for the bombing suspect commenced.

“I told the governor, I will ask them and I know they will do it,” Deveau said.

Deveau presented Town Council President Mark Sideris with a WPD hat plaque dedicated to the people of Watertown. 

Driscoll thanked the town workers and the residents of town for the cooperation that day.

“I have worked in this town for 36 years and I have never been more proud of this community,” Driscoll said.

On April 19, the world’s eyes focused on Watertown and for many it was the first time they had heard of the town outside Boston. Watertown Fire Chief Mario Orangio said the secret is out.

“Watertown Strong has been a popular saying since the 19th, but we have been strong long before that,” Orangio said. “People say it put Watertown on the map, but we have been here for well over 380 years. The events of the 19th only let people know what we have known all along.”