Bomb Suspect Hospitalized in Serious Condition
The Boston Marathon bombings suspect captured in Friday’s manhunt remains in serious but stable condition at Beth Israel Hospital, WCVB reports. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said Friday evening that Tsarnaev was taken to a hospital in serious condition, covered in blood. Davis said officials assumed his injuries occured during the gunfight in Watertown the evening before. Shots were fired at the boat where Tsarnaev was found hiding, but officials did not know if Tsarnaev was hit. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev cannot be interrogated due to his condition, WCVB also reported. “We always want to take all the suspects alive, so we can find out what happened, why it happened and hold them for justice,” Davis said Friday night. The other suspect in the bombings and Tsarnaev’s brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died early Friday morning after post-midnight gunfight. Hospital officials said Tamerlan Tsarnaev was in traumautic arrest when he was brought to the hospital, suffering from a combination of a potential blast injury and gunshot wounds. Physicians spent about 10-15 minutes trying to recesitate him. He was pronounced dead at 1:35 a.m. at Beth Israel Hospital, the same hospital where his brother is now under armed guard and that treated 24 bombing victims, including 12 who were still hospitalized as of Friday morning. South End Patch
Elation: Scene of Watertown Capture of Marathon Bombing Suspect
It took a few minutes, but when reality sank in that the second Boston Marathon bomber had been captured in Watertown – their town – the crowd’s mood changed; it became like a victory parade for a Red Sox world championship. After watching the scene in the chilly damp night, being up all night and cooped up all day made, it was extra sweet when the words “suspect in custody” came over the police radio. Two hours earlier, I had been contemplating a second helping of chicken stirfry when the words rarely heard in Watertown came crackling over the scanner: “Shots fired.” My wife, Jen, and I froze and then went into a frenzy. We grabbed our coats and every camera we could get our hands on and jumped in the car. The scene was just two blocks away. Mt. Auburn Street — Watertown’s main thoroughfare — was already blocked off when we got there. Dozens of police talked nervously. Then came a “pop, pop.” Then another, followed by a few more. It was not clear whether they were gas canisters, gun shots, or both. The crowd hushed. I wondered what was happening on the other side of the houses I had stared at, seemingly for several hours. Police cars came and went. Men in heavy body armor and helmets began heading up the street. Then nothing. Everyone seemed nervous. Would the suspect be caputred dead or alive? Would he hurt or even kill an officer – possibly one I know personally? Eventually, word got out — but people didn’t quite seem ready to believe it. A crowd gathered around a car with its radio tuned to a news channel. People clapped when reports that the suspect was subdued and being put into an ambulance. The chill quickly disappeared as the excitement rose. First one police car left – met with some clapping from the crowd. Then more cars rolled by, and finally one police officer waved and yelled “God Bless America! God Bless America!” That was it – the celebration was on. People crowded in, cheering louder and louder and yelling “Good job!” and “Thank You!” A man turned to another and yelled “This is our town!” Being a journalist, I do my best to remove emotion and concentrate on the story. But it was no use; the mood was infectious. Eventally I put down my camera and just watched. I didn’t want to leave the scene, but stories had to be written. It was an added bonus that I was able to share the moment with my wife, an ex-journalist. As we headed back […]
Patch Employee Detained in Search for Bomb Suspect
Patch Associate Regional Ad Director Al Wilson was detained by police while returning to his home in Watertown on Thursday night. Here, he explains what happened: Q: What were you doing on Thursday night when this all happened? A: I had driven back from a business trip for Patch from Southern New Jersey, returning to Watertown at 9 p.m. I went into my house and had done some work on my computer before going back outside to fetch a suitcase from my car. Two loud explosions suddenly sounded somewhere behind my house. In between explosions was a series of gunshots. There was then perhaps a 10 second gap before 30 to 40 shots were fired in quick succession. Then all was quiet. Q: What did you do next? A: I climbed into the car and instead of going back to the house (toward where the explosion and gunfire seemed to be coming from), I drove the opposite direction in my rental car, turned left on Mt. Auburn from Bailey and away from the scene. I had made it perhaps 200 yards or less on Mt. Auburn when 40 or so state and local police cars came up Mt. Auburn. I slowed and pulled to the right shoulder of the road. All of the police took a right onto a side street in front of my car with lights flashing but no sirens. So many pulled onto the side street that they were lined up as far as you could see. The whole side street was blocked (from top to bottom). In quick succession, all cars shut their lights off. I believe police stayed in these vehicles. Q: You must have been terrified. What did you do next? A: I then pulled away and continued another 100 yards before several more groups of police raced up the road. I estimate they were doing 100 mph-plus and in close proximity to each other. Several police pulled across Mt. Auburn and raced from their vehicles, leaving cars in the road. I pulled over onto a side street to my left (off Mt. Auburn) and parked the car. I sat in car for some time, hearing sirens and straining engines from cars under hard acceleration. Q: At this point did things start to calm down a bit? A: At some point I thought things had been quiet for some time, and I decided to quickly walk the 300 yards or so back to my house. I left the vehicle on the side street and ran along far right side of Mt. Auburn toward my house. I had made it approximately 100 yards or so when […]