MBTA Transit Police Officer Richard Donohue Jr, who was shot during the firefight between authorities and the Tsarnaev brothers on April 19 in Watertown, MA, penned a letter in which he displays good spirits and says he expects to fully recover.
On Wednesday May 1, Donohue issued a letter via the MBTA in which he thanked all those who helped save his life, as well as provide an optimistic update as to his progress.
“I must thank my brothers from the Transit, Boston, Harvard, Watertown, Cambridge and State Police, as well as fire department personnel and the various other first responders, all of whom put their own lives on the line to save mine. In the midst of a firefight they dropped to the ground and assisted me when I was shot.”
Donohue went on to say that he is “awake, moving around, talking and telling jokes (much to my wife’s dismay).”
“I still have a long road of rehab and recovery ahead, but I am optimistic I’ll recover back to 100 (percent),” Donohue said.
The bullet that struck Donohue will remain in his leg as it is not causing any disruptions or pain. “However my wife has informed me that the bullet will ultimately cause her the most pain, as I will be using it to get out of things such as mowing the lawn, doing laundry, and painting the deck,” Donohue added lightheartedly.
Donohue made sure to thank the team of physicians who helped save his life that day. “I am told that when I arrived at the hospital I had almost no blood and no pulse, and the team of medical experts at Mount Auburn miraculously brought me back to life,” Donohue said.
Donohue also offered his condolence to the Collier family. Sean Collier died during a shootout with the alleged bombers on the MIT campus. “Sean was one of my good friends out of the academy and I arrived on scene soon after Sean’s attack. There is not a single day we are not thinking or speaking of Sean.”
While police are investigating whether or not Donohue was injured via friendly fire during the shootout, Donohue says he has “very little memory of the week’s events” and is working to piece all of the events together.
“When the full story of that evening is accounted for, it will be wilder than any movie you have ever seen. And it will contain more heroes,” Donohue said.
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