Boston Marathon Bombing

Patriots Day Filmmakers Wanted to ‘Get it Right’ for Survivors, First Responders

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Getting it right was so important to the team behind the Boston Marathon Bombing movie, “Patriots Day,” that it became their motto. Producer and star Mark Wahlberg said he initially was hesitant to take on the task of telling the story of the attacks on his hometown, but knew there were other efforts to capture the story of the Marathon Bombings. He wanted to capture the “strength our community showed and how well we came together,” he said at Thursday’s press conference for the movie. “I’m so damn proud of how my city responded,” he said. He was concerned how the film would be received in Boston but finally got confirmation after Wednesday’s premiere.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Local Reporter Tells Story of Boston Cop Who Died from Injures from the Watertown Shootout

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The puzzling death of a Boston Police officer who was injured during the Watertown Shootout and died suddenly a year later was chronicled by Watertown-based reporter Adam Sennott. Boston Police Officer Dennis O. Simmonds was described as a model police officer, and was one of the officers who responded to the shootout with the Boston Marathon Bombers in Watertown. Though not publicized Simmonds was injured in the shootout. He was honored by the Boston Police and was presented an award from the National Association of Police Organizations by President Obama. A year later he died of what was called a brain aneurism, but an autopsy was not performed.

Around Town

Oscar Winner, ‘Patriots Day’ Crew Take Over Home of a Watertown Police Officer

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Watertown Police Sgt. Jeffrey Pugliese had some house guests in his Westside home this week – a whole crew of them, in fact – including an Oscar winning actor. 

One of the characters in the “Patriots Day” movie about the Boston Marathon Bombings is Pugliese, who was part of the shootout with the bombing suspects in Watertown. He will be portrayed by J.K. Simmons, who won an Academy Award for his role in “Whiplash,” and also appeared in the many other movie and television roles, including “Law & Order” and “The Closer.” Wednesday, the Pugliese household was taken over by film crews from CBS Films, to shot scenes for the film that will hit theaters in Boston, New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 21, 2016.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Hear the 911 Tape of the Man Who Found the Boston Marathon Bomber in His Boat

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Most know the story of how a Watertown resident spotted something strange with his boat that sat in yard and it ended up being the wounded Boston Marathon Bomber. 

The discovery of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the boat on Franklin Street ended a day-long search, during most of which the town was under lockdown. ABC News acquired the 911 tapes of Watertown resident David Henneberry reporting what he saw in his boat. The video is part of the ABC Ditigal five-part series about the events of April 2013 from the bombing to the capture. The 911 tape is part of the fifth segment that chronicles the lockdown and capture of Tsarnaev. The fourth segment covers the Watertown Shootout, and includes interviews with Watertown Police Sgts. Jeffrey Pugliese and John MacLellan.

Entertainment

See Who John Goodman Will Play in ‘Patriots Day,’ Release Date Announced

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CBS Films and Lionsgate announced that Golden Globe-winner John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane, Inside Llewyn Davis, Argo) will join Academy Award-Winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Zootopia) and Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Lone Survivor) in Patriots Day, the film company announced. The film will be directed by Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor) and produced by Scott Stuber, Mark Wahlberg, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson, Dorothy Aufiero and Michael Radutzky. Patriots Day chronicles the events surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. Goodman will play former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis.  Commissioner Davis played an integral role in working with the FBI, Watertown Police Department, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and local first responders to track, identify and apprehend the suspected bombers. “Commissioner Davis is an American hero, and John Goodman brings the extraordinary combination of humility, gravitas and empathy to portray him,” commented Berg.

Government

LETTER: East End Councilor Reacts to Decision on Film on Watertown Shootout

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First and foremost, no resident of Watertown should ever be made to feel that an issue or event is allowed to “fly under the radar;” a statement that has been echoed on numerous occasions these past couple of weeks specific to this matter. In my opinion, four residents of one street does not constitute neighborhood involvement without broader notification. Especially, when we speak of an event of a very sensitive nature that impacted the entire East End of Watertown, community-at-large and surrounding cities and towns. For the record, a designee of Town Manager Michael Driscoll, Steve Magoon, Assistant Town Manager and Director of Community Development and Planning was present at the Feb. 12, 2016 meeting.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Changes of Plans for Filming at Scene of Watertown Shootout

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Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced that plans recreate the Watertown Shootout on the same streets that the incident occurred have been scrapped. Driscoll sent out the announcement Friday afternoon:
“Upon further reflection, filming the recreation of the Watertown Shootout when police encountered the Boston Marathon Bombers at the intersection of Dexter Avenue and Laurel Street is not in the best interest of Watertown. Therefore, CBS Films will proceed with identifying another location to film the Shootout outside of the Town of Watertown.” The announcement came after a week of emotional responses by many residents about re-enacting the firefight between Watertown Police and the Tsarnaev brothers on April 19, 2013. CBS Films had met with residents of Laurel Street to discuss plans, but the meeting held on Feb.

Around Town

Academy Award Winner to Play Watertown Police Officer in ‘Patriots Day’

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Watertown Police Sgt. Jeffrey Pugliese, one of the heroes of the Watertown Shootout, will be played by Oscar winner J.K. Simmons in the upcoming film “Patriots Day.” The film, being made by CBS Films and Lionsgate, will chronicle the events around the Boston Marathon Bombings, including the shootout in Watertown in which Watertown Police faced the Tsarnaev brothers. Pugliese had just gotten off duty on the night of the shootout, but raced to the scene in his family’s minivan and flanked the Tsarnaevs. He helped capture Tamerlan, who later died at hospital.