Officer Injured During Shootout With Marathon Bombers Finally Goes Home

Photo via MBTA Transit PD

He chased down two of the most wanted criminals in the country on April 18, recovered from a life-threatening bullet wound to the leg, and spent nearly two months in the hospital. And now, he has finally headed home.

MBTA Transit Police Officer Richard “Dic” Donohue was released from the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on Friday, where he spent weeks healing up after a bullet punctured his leg, lodging shrapnel in his ligament forever, during a shootout with the alleged Boston Marathon bombing suspectas back in April.

Dozens of fellow Transit Police officers arrived at the hospital to see Donohue as he headed home to his wife and family after a strenuous recovery. Other members of the transportation authority wished him well. “This is a great day for Officer Donohue and his family, friends and colleagues,” said MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott.  “He’s been an inspiration to all us at the T, and we’re so happy that he continues to show improvement on a daily basis.”

During a press conference with reporters, standing with the help of crutches, beside his wife, Kim, Donohue said he was excited to get home to spend time with his son and his Beagle. He also talked about cooking food that wasn’t made in a hospital. During his brief appearance, the injured officer expressed an interest in returning to his job as an MBTA Transit Policeman, but didn’t detail when he would be eligible to do so.

A day prior to his release, in a post on a Facebook page dedicated to the officer’s recovery efforts, Donohue’s wife said she was excited to get her husband out of the hospital, and as much as she appreciated the staff’s help, she never wanted to go back to the facility. “This is a very bittersweet moment as [Dic] is excited to return to his own house and be with his son and dog, but yet he is still in a varied amount of pain and dealing with recovery. The road is long but this is the final intersection and we are confident he will gain strength with every day that passes while at home,” Kim wrote. “I do not know where to begin when it comes to thanking first responders in Watertown as well as those doctors and nurses in the emergency room at Mount Auburn. In every way possible all involved parties bought my husband back to life. As much as I love the hospital staff I never want to have to make that drive to a Cambridge hospital ever again.”

Since his injury, Donohue has received overwhelming support from the community, including being asked to wave a flag at a recent Bruins game; something both he and his wife expressed gratitude for.

In May, Donohue addressed the public for the first time, through an update on the MBTA Transit Police blog, where he made jokes about his injuries, but said he was feeling positive about a full recovery.

Investigators are trying to determine if Donohue’s injuries were sustained in friendly fire during the manhunt for the bombing suspects in Watertown on April 18.