(NECN: Mike Cronin) – In Watertown, Mass., many agencies on many levels helped to take the Boston Marathon bombings suspect into custody. Among them was the SWAT team from the Webster Police.
Thousands of police officers from all over the state filled Bostons' streets last week. Among them was a SWAT team from central Massachusetts.
“Almost like organized chaos I guess is a good way to describe it,” says SWAT Commander Michael Shaw.
He’s the Webster Police Lieutenant and commander of the SWAT team. They went to Boston Tuesday night and stayed until the second suspect was apprehended on Friday.
“It was unbelievable because more people kept showing up and showing up and just to organize all of that was just remarkable,” he says.
Shaw's team was among those going house to house looking for the second suspect in Watertown. They were also inside an armored vehicle engaged in a shootout with both suspects late Thursday night.
“They were about 20 yards from the vehicle, the scene where the gun battle took place.”
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The SWAT team is overseen by the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council.
“The time that we spent out there, it was critical to the operation,” says Webster Police Chief and President of the council, Timothy Bent.
The council represents 63 towns and cities, mostly in central Massachusetts. In his 25 years on the job, he says the cooperation in Boston was unlike anything he's ever seen.
“9/11 had a tremendous response as well, but we've never seen a city shut down,” says Chief Bent. “We've never seen this type of response in our area.”
“Just the whole conglomeration of events over the last week, everybody wanted to just go out there and do something and be a part of it and try to help,” Shaw says.
Shaw is relieved the marathon bombers are off the streets. He says people have been thanking him all week.
“You don't see that a whole lot in this job, people expressing gratitude, even back here in central Massachusetts. I've had people come up and thank me... It's really nice to see that and kind of make you feel good about what you do.”
