Richard Donohue, Shot in Firefight with Boston Marathon Bombing Suspects, Tells Story

The police officer with Exeter ties was seriously injured.

The police officer shot in a manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombing suspects last month said he saw them tossing bombs out of a vehicle in the moments before he was hit. Richard Donohue Jr., 33, a Winchester native and Woburn resident, nearly died from injuries he suffered during a shootout in Watertown. He's recovering at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. The CBS Evening News Monday night aired an exclusive interview with him. Donohue, a Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority police officer, was shot in the groin. The bullet severed his femoral artery, he told CBS. He lost nearly all the blood in his body. It was replaced through transfusions, surgeons said. It is unclear who shot Donohue. Police are investigating the possibility that it …

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Wife of Injured MBTA Officer Grateful on Mother's Day

Winchester native and MBTA Officer Richard Donohue Jr. was seriously wounded in a shootout with the Boston Marathon bombers.

The wife of a police officer recovering from being shot in a firefight with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects said she was grateful on Mother's Day Sunday. "I have my husband and my son has his daddy back," wrote Kim Donohue on a Facebook page she's using to give updates on her husband's recovery. Her husband, Winchester native Richard Donohue Jr., was seriously wounded during a shootout in Watertown. It's unclear who shot the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority police officer. Police are investigating the possibility that it was the result of friendly fire. Another police officer, Sean Collier, was killed during the shootout. Donohue was shot in the leg and lost a massive amount of blood. He said he has been able to walk with the help …

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Witness: MBTA Officer Hit by Friendly Fire During Watertown Shootout

Winchester native and MBTA Transit Officer Richard Donohue Jr. may have been hit by another officer's bullet during the chaos of the battle with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

A Watertown resident who witnessed the shootout between police officers and the two Boston Marathon bombing suspects in the East End said she believes the MBTA officer critically injured in the battle on April 19 was struck by friendly fire. The Boston Globe reported Tuesday that a woman who lives just a few hundred feet from the scene of the chaotic gun battle saw officers firing at the bombing suspects and then saw someone at a nearby street corner fall. She wrote in a statement to the Globe that Winchester native and MBTA Officer Richard Donohue Jr. was hit near the end of the shootout as 19-year-old suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev drove away from the area in a stolen SUV. "It appeared to me that an individual at the corner [of the street] …

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Family of Injured MBTA Officer Issues Statement

The family of Winchester native Richard "Dic" Donohue Jr., the MBTA Transit Police officer injured during a Thursday night shoot-out with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, issued a statement on Saturday.

The family of Winchester native Richard "Dic" Donohue Jr., the MBTA Transit Police officer injured during a Thursday night shoot-out with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, issued a statement on Saturday, according to a Tufts Medical Center press statement. In the statement, the family said: "We thank the people of Boston and the nation for the prayers and support they are sending to Richard and to our family. Please continue to pray for Richard, a wonderful father, husband, son and brother, and a dedicated police officer who loves his work and helping people. Richard remains in serious condition so we are focused on supporting him; please respect our privacy. We will not be responding to any media requests at this time. Should there be…

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Several MBTA Services Suspended Following Marathon Explosion

Some T stations in the downtown area have been temporarily suspended.

MBTA T service in downtown Boston is in varying stages of suspension as emergency crews respond to the aftermath of at least two explosions at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon. The MBTA’s Green Line service between Kenmore and Park Street stations has been shut down as of 3:30 p.m. today, although Green Line service will continue to run between Lechmere and North Station, according to MBTA website. Both the Green Line's B and C services have been temporarily suspended, and the D line is only running from Riverside to Fenway. The Green Line's E service is still running between Northeastern and Brigham Circle. Customers who need service between Brigham Circle and Health Street are being asked to use the Route 39 bus. In addition, …

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Mass. Tax Plans: Too Much, Too Soon? Or Too Little, Too Slow?

Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?

Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …

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Andrew Sylvia

9:26 pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2013

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Ryder Truck Crashes into MBTA Bridge in Winchester [PHOTOS]

A Ryder truck got stuck underneath a MBTA bridge on Cross Street Friday afternoon in Winchester.

A Ryder truck got stuck underneath a MBTA bridge on Cross Street Friday afternoon in Winchester. The truck struck the bridge shortly before 4 p.m., according to police. There was a male driver in the Ryder truck with no passengers, and no one was injured during the incident, according to Winchester patrolman Peter Hersee. "The truck hit the bridge. It happens a lot," Hersee said at the scene. A similar incident happened about two months ago at the same location, according Hersee. "The only thing that I've ever seen hit it that was different was a garbage truck about a year and a half to two years ago." The large white Ryder truck was extricated from underneath the bridge around 4:45 p.m., according to police. The truck sustained …

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You Ask, Patch Answers

MBTA Targets Spring Completion Date For Wedgemere Station Project

The final phase of the Wedgemere Station project is expected to be finished by late May, according to the MBTA.

A reader recently submitted a "You Ask, Patch Answers" question about where things stand with the Wedgemere Station project. So, here's what we found out. The final phase of the Wedgemere Station project is expected to be finished this spring, according to an MBTA spokeswoman. "The accessible ramps, mini-high platforms, and accessible parking spaces opened to patrons on (Feb). 1," wrote MBTA spokeswoman Kelly Smith in an email to Winchester Patch. "The station is now fully accessible. The remaining work entails replacement of the platform edges at the southern end of the station and installation of landscaping." "The project is now transitioning into the final phase of construction, in which the platform edges will be replaced at the …

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MBTA Not Considering Late Night Service

Due to the strain on resources, the MBTA has no plans as of now to extend service hours despite massive local interest.

The days of the Night Owl bus service are long gone, and as of now, they may not return. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said until the state implements Gov. Deval Patrick’s recent 21st Century Plan transportation budget roll out, late night service is out of the question. “Given the enormous strain on the MBTA’s limited resources, the Authority cannot even consider an extension of service hours before action is taken on the 21st Century Transportation Plan,” Pesaturo wrote in an email. The Night Owl bus service, which ran buses from the end of service at 1 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., existed between 2001 and 2005, but was too costly to maintain. Another major issue working against late night service is the short time it allows for crews to perform …

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