The MBTA transit officer who was shot during a showdown with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects has condemned Rolling Stone for placing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover.
Officer Richard Donohue told NBC's "Today" show on Thursday he was surprised when he saw the magazine's August edition.
The 33 year old from Woburn was shot in the leg during a shootout with the marathon bombing suspects in Watertown in April, after a bomb explosion killed three innocent bystanders and wounded more than 290 during the Boston Marathon.
"They could've picked anybody else,” Donohue said.
“There's a number of people they could have picked for an arts and entertainment magazine than an alleged bomber."
In a statement on posted on the transit police blog on Wednesday, Donohue discusses why he objects to the cover of the magazine.
"The City of Boston and the surrounding communities have faced many challenges since the bombings at the marathon finish line. The new cover of Rolling Stone has garnered much attention due to its sensationalized depiction of one of the alleged bombers," Donohue said.
"My family and I were personally affected by these individuals’ actions. I cannot and do not condone the cover of the magazine, which is thoughtless at best.”
Donohue isn’t the only one annoyed by the cover magazine image. Several businesses announced they would not sell the magazine including CVS and Walgreens.
"CVS/pharmacy has decided not to sell the current issue of Rolling Stone featuring a cover photo of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect," reads a message posted on the company's Facebook page.
In a press statement posted on their Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon, Rolling Stone's editors explained their decision, "Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens."
The magazine is set to go on sale August 3.
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