Boston Marathon Bombing

LETTER: Mother Worries About Impact of ‘Patriots Day’ Filming in Watertown

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Esteemed Councilors,

I’m a resident of District C, and I’m writing to you today to urge you to register your opposition to the filming of Patriots Day in the Laurel/Dexter Street neighborhood. At the time of the shootout — in which over 200 rounds were fired, one person was killed in a particularly gruesome way and a police officer was injured, I lived in that neighborhood. The garage of the home where I lived was about 75 feet from the shootout. My children still live there half the week, as my former husband and I share custody of them. I want to tell you that it’s not just about recreating a traumatic event with pyrotechnics late at night in the same neighborhood that witnessed these horrible events.

Around Town

LETTER: Resident Opposes Filming Recreation of Watertown Shootout

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Dear Mr. Driscoll and Councilors Sideris, Dattoli, Falkoff, Palomba, Kounelis, Feltner, Piccirilli, Woodland, and Dushku,

I am writing to oppose the re-creation and filming of gun battle scenes for the movie “Patriots Day” on Laurel Street in Watertown. I live near-by on Boylston Street — close enough that my husband heard the sound of the shootout as it happened, close enough to be woken by the sounds of helicopters over my house that night. When I learned that the five nights of filming planned on Laurel Street within ear shot of my home would be loud, including gunshots until midnight, I felt angry and anxious. I wondered — who would allow this to happen in our town?! As I learned more, I felt the tears fill my eyes.

Around Town

Emotional Responses to News of Filming at Site of Watertown Shootout

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News that Watertown that film producers want to shoot a re-enactment of the Watertown Shootout on the same streets where it happened, complete with late night simulated gunshots, was met with an outpouring of emotions from town residents – mostly negative but some strongly backing it. This month, CBS Films has been meeting with residents of Laurel Street about the filming of “Patriots Day,” a film starring Mark Wahlberg which would recreate the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, including the shootout with the bombers in Watertown. The schedule calls for closing off Laurel Street for a few days, including three nights when the filming would include re-enactments complete with gunfire as late as midnight. Watertown residents reacted on the Watertown News Facebook page, and on the comment section of Monday’s story. Many reactions on Facebook were negative, such as, “Who wants to relive this.

Around Town

CBS Seeks to Shoot Marathon Bombing Film at Scene of Watertown Shootout

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A film production company wants to come to Watertown to recreate the Watertown Shootout when police encountered the Boston Marathon Bombers at the intersection of Dexter Avenue and Laurel Street. 

In early, February, CBS Films contacted some residents in the area of the Watertown Shootout to discuss the production of the film, named “Patriots Day.” The movie will star Boston-native Mark Wahlberg and will be directed by Peter Berg, who also directed “Lone Survivor.” According to the flyer sent to residents on Laurel Street, the movie “tells the story of the days following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and the extraordinary men and women involved in bringing the perpetrators to justice.” On Feb. 12, representatives from CBS met with immediate neighbors to the area of the shootout, and the area where they seek to film.

Around Town

UPDATED: Camera Crews Spotted Around Town for Film on Marathon Bombing

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Crews shooting a documentary on the Boston Marathon Bombings have been spotted in town in the area of the Watertown Shootout. A film company called Break Thru Films is working on the film for HBO. Crews were seen walking around the area of Dexter Avenue and Laurel Street, where the Tsarnaev brothers got into the shootout with Watertown Police, on Thursday. With them were retired Watertown Police Chief Ed Deaveau and retired Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, according to Eastside resident Bob Erickson. The crews also interviewed residents in the area of the shootout, according to Assistant Town Manager Steve Magoon.

Police/Fire

Police Chief Wanted to Get Through Marathon Trial Before Retiring

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The timing of Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau’s retirement announcement, coming just weeks after the trial of the Boston Marathon Bomber wrapped up, was no coincidence. Deveau announced last week that he will retire after 14 years as chief and 32 years on the force. “I would have started to think about (retiring) if April 19 (2013) didn’t happen,” Deveau said. That day will loom large in the minds of all Watertown residents, but Deveau had as close a view to what happened as anyone who was not part of the shootout with the Tsarnaev brothers. After the firefight, which included homemade bombs, Deveau was part of the team making decisions during the subsequent manhunt and capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in a boat on Franklin Street.

Police/Fire

With Marthon Bombing Trial Over, Police Can Talk About Shootout

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Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau said he can finally talk publicly about the shootout with the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects, and he gave the Town Council some details. 

Monday night, Deveau talked about the shootout during the Police Department’s budget hearing in front of the Council. When asked by Councilor Aaron Dushku about the lessons learned from the incident in April 2013, Deveau said his officers have changed some of their training in reaction to the incident. As an example, the Watertown Police officers now train more with the rifles in their patrol cruisers. “One example, one of the things – I’d say this was was my responsibility, it was  my fault – we have patrol rifles in vehicle. When we got those I told the officers, ‘we’re putting them in but don’t touch them unless you need them.

Police/Fire

MBTA Officer Hurt in Watertown Shootout Returns to Duty

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Sergeant Donohue pic.twitter.com/I6dRyG2uOt
— MBTA Transit Police (@MBTATransitPD) May 15, 2015
MBTA Police Officer Dic Donohue almost lost his life during the shootout in Watertown with the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects, but after a long recovery he returned to duty this week, and got promoted! The MBTA Police held a promotion ceremony this week, and Donohue told WHDH Channel 7 that he is glad to be back on duty. See more by clicking here. Donohue also commented this week on the jury’s decision to give the death penalty to convicted Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. “Just over two years after the events that impacted us as a community and a nation, we can finally close this chapter in our lives.