MBTA Unleashes Bomb-Sniffing Dogs
Three bomb-sniffing dogs were led into service along the MBTA this week. The Metro’s Boston edition reported Monday the three dogs – Moxie, Shifty and Wire – completed tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, completing weeks of training to get them used to working around civilians. The Metro also published a photo gallery of the dogs with their transit police counterparts Tuesday. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: BombSniffing, Dogs, MBTA, Unleashes
Police Seek Woman Who Shoved MBTA Bus Driver
On the same day the MBTA launched their “don’t touch a bus driver” campaign, the transit police posted a video showing a woman shoving a driver before exiting a bus. The MBTA Transit Police in a May 6 post on the police blog are urging the public to contact them if they recognize the woman who is carrying a young child in the video. “Take another look contact us if you know her, 617-222-1050, MBTA SeeSay app or anonymously at our text tip line 873873” the post says. Beginning this week, MBTA buses have posted signage which say “Don’t Touch The Driver” in an effort to prevent attacks on on-duty MBTA employees. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Watertown Rescue’s Actions Helped Save MBTA Officer’s Life
It was a typical 24-hour shift for Watertown Fire Department firefighters James Caruso and Patrick Menton assigned to the department’s rescue ambulance; a few medical calls and some training. Pretty routine for a Thursday, Caruso would remember. But the everyday would within minutes transform into a maelstrom of bullets and bombs. The pair rushed to aid a police officer in a Watertown neighborhood, hit in an exchange of gunfire with the alleged Boston Marathon bombers. “From calm to chaos,” said Menton. Caruso and Menton have worked together periodically on the ambulance which is Caruso’s assignment. In fact, Menton was only scheduled to accompany Caruso after James’ usual partner’s wife gave birth earlier on April 18. The pair — Westford-native Caruso and Menton who was born, raised and is living in Watertown — who joined the department together eight years ago, would be on the 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift. Earlier in the week, the department put a second rescue unit on duty as a result of the Boston Marathon bombing, but were not called into the city. It was a fairly quiet night Thursday, until just after midnight when the chatter on the radio began picking up from dispatchers and police and fire: an officer shot and killed at MIT, a car jacking, a wild car chase heading west along Memorial Drive in the direction of Watertown. Then around 12:45 a.m., dispatch relayed to Watertown Rescue the call of “officer down” during a running gun battle along Laural Street with two heavily-armed suspects. Despite the hundreds of round-fired and pipe bombs lying on the street, the pair raced to the heart of the battle. “We didn’t know there had been shots fired, but all we knew was there was an officer needing help so we went in. That was it,” said Caruso. “It was a bit nerve-wracking but instincts just kicked in so you are not really thinking about it,” said Menton. When Caruso and Menton arrived, they were waved to the intersection of Laural and Dexter where they found a group of officers in a driveway. Jumping out of the truck’s cab, the EMTs saw officers working on Richard Donohue Jr., a MBTA officer who was part of the police chase into Watertown. The 33-year-old Donohue was hit by a round that severed three of four major leg arteries, producing a steady steam of blood draining into the street. As Caruso and Menton got out, the officers carried the limp unconscious officer to the back of the vehicle. They soon realized that Donohue had effectively lost his entire blood supply from the wound. “You can’t even describe […]
Doctor: ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ on Injured MBTA Officer’s Recovery
During a press conference Sunday afternoon at Mount Auburn Hospital, Dr. David Miller said he was “cautiously optimistic” about Winchester native and MBTA Officer Richard Donohue Jr.’s recovery after he was wounded during a shoot-out with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects on Thursday night. Following the conference, Dr. Russell Nauta, professor of surgery at Mount Auburn Hospital, explained what happened to Donohue Jr. “He was shot through the anterior thigh and there was an entrance wound and no exit wound so the bullet remains in the leg,” Nauta said, adding that there were no fractures and partial transection of three out of the four blood vessels that are in the leg. “There was bleeding from the wound that led to cardiac arrest at the scene.” Nauta said cariopulmonary resuscitation was started on Donohue Jr. at the scene and continued in the emergency room, where there was a “tranfusion of fluids and blood products to the point of restoration of the pulse and pressure at which point he went into the operating room.” Donohue Taken to Operating Room “We made an incision in the lower abdomen to clamp the artery to the leg (because) you could not clamp it through the wound and you could not see anything through the wound,” Nauta said. “We stopped the bleeding and we called in our cariovascular folks to reconstruct the blood vessels to and from the leg.” From the time of the shooting to the time he was in the operating room, less than an hour had passed, with about 15 minutes for transport and 45 minutes spent in the emergency room, according to Nauta. Nauta, who also serves as chairman for the Department of Surgery at the hospital, said the bullet remains in the leg. During the conference, Nauta said Donohue Jr. had not spoken, as there is a breathing tube inserted in his mouth. Donohue Jr., 33, of Woburn, is currently “medically sedated” to maximize subsequent organ function, Nata said. “He is sedated and gets special treatment on the respirator to maximize the chance his central nervous system and his circulation will be fine,” Nauta said. If Donohue Jr. shows improvement, Nauta said he expects the officer to be able to walk again. Hospital Staff Ready for Anything After the conference, Jeanette Clough, president and CEO at the hospital, praised the work done by first responders, nursing staff and physicians the night of the shootings in Cambridge and Watertown. She said that her staff trains for situations similar to what happened the past couple days. “Those are two of our closes communities and to have this going on in […]
Categories: Arrests Tags: 'Cautiously, Doctor, Injured, MBTA, Officer's, Optimistic', Recovery
Brother of Injured MBTA Officer Releases Statement
The brother 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, has released a statement, according to a Tufts Medical Center press statement. In the statement, Edward Donohue, a Winchester Police officer, said: “Dic still has a long road to go before we can safely say he has made it out of the woods. We are proud of his actions and extremely grateful for those courageous officers and EMTs on scene who braved gunfire and explosives to render critical care to Dic that has brought us to this point. The Mount Auburn Hospital doctors and nurses have performed extraordinarily well and their staff has been incredible. This week has been difficult for everyone and on behalf of the extended Donohue family, we would like to thank all of the citizens in the surrounding communities for cooperating with police efforts in the search for the suspects. We would also like to thank all of the law enforcement agencies who have worked tirelessly to bring justice to our country. Lastly, we keep in our prayers all those who have been affected by the tragedies this past week, especially Sean Collier, Dic’s friend and academy mate.” The statement was sent on behalf of the Donohue family by Tufts Medical Center. South End Patch
Boylston Crime Scene Still Closed, MBTA Running Normally
A 12-block downtown triangle continues to be closed to the public following the Marathon Monday bombings. Boylston Street from Massachusetts Avenue to Clarendon Street and Huntington Avenue to Newbury Street are closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Copley Station is closed. Trains are running passed this station. MassPike exit 22 on the eastbound side toward Copley Square remains closed. MBTA Police are randomly searching riders’ bags. Passengers on a commuter rail train early Wednesday morning in Framingham were evacuated and searched. The train was cleared to continue. A Wednesday morning accident has caused the MBTA to terminate the E branch of Green Line service at Brigham Circle. Riders must use the 39 bus route for service between Brigham Circle and Heath Street. South End Patch
Police Presence Enhanced ‘Across MBTA’
Public transit through the city of Boston has been enhanced following Marathon Monday bombings that resulted in three deaths and injuries to more than 140 people. MBTA Spokesman Joe Pesaturo said the whole system will have a beefed up law enforcement presence and there will be random bag checks throughout the entire MBTA. “Transit Police, with strong support from federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel, are performing random baggage checks throughout the transit system,” Pesaturo said. “Customers have been very cooperative, and we greatly appreciate their patience and understanding.” MBTA personnel, transit police and the National Guard are the leading agencies securing the stations. Copley Station remains closed because it is being considered part of an active crime scene. Pesaturo would not give specifics on which stations would have a particularly high amount of law enforcement officers. “Security plans are most effective when specific details of the plans are not shared with the public at large,” he said, reiterating that security has been “enhanced system-wide and not just at individual stations.” South End Patch
Several MBTA Services Suspended Following Marathon Explosion
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.com. 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, the Red Line is bypassing Park Street Station at this time, with the Red and Orange lines bypassing Downtown Crossing Station. Currently, only the Blue and Silver lines and the Red Line to Mattapan are unaffected by the incident. Customers who need transportation in the Back Bay and downtown areas should use the Orange Line to Back Bay and Chinatown stations and the Red Line to South Station, according to the MBTA website. South End Patch
MBTA Schedule for Marathon Monday
When there’s a world-class roadrace headed right through your neighborhood, expect to see some delays in your public transportation as well. Despite Patriot’s Day holiday status, all MBTA lines will be operating on their regular schedules. Information courtesy of the MBTA website: The Red, Blue, Orange, Green and Silver lines will operate on a regular weekday schedule with extra service before and after the marathon. Copley Station will be closed all day. Use Hynes or Arlington Stations. The Berkley Street entrance/exit of Arlington Station will remain closed and he “B” section of Hynes Convention Center located on Boylston Street will be available for exit only. Customers are urged to load value on to their CharlieCards in advance in order to avoid long lines on Marathon Monday. Commuter Rail service will operate on its regular weekday schedule. Due to the dramatically increased ridership with extreme crowds, customers should expect delays throughout the day and are encouraged to budget additional time for his/her commute. Several bus routes will be diverted during Marathon Monday and customers are strongly encouraged to check T-Alerts and MBTA.com throughout the day for up-to-the-minute information. For a full list of the affected bus routes, check the MBTA marathon information website. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
VIDEO: Arrests at State House Protest Over Proposed MBTA Cuts
Police arrested several people who were blocking Beacon Street in front of the State House as part of a protest against cuts to the MBTA’s service for disabled and elderly passengers. The protest began peacefully around noon but moved into the street 20 minutes later. After seven in folding chairs or wheelchairs stopped traffic for another 20 minutes, police moved in arrested “four to five” of them, according to an officer on the scene. The rally, organized by MassUniting and the Massachusetts Senior Action Coaltion, was called to protest the large fare hikes to the MBTA’s paratransit service The RIDE. According to MassUniting, while fares for regular MBTA service went up 23 percent, the cost of The Ride has ballooned up to 150 percent over the past year. The most recent transportation proposal calls for an addition $ 6.5 million cut to The Ride. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch