Reacting to the unrest in Baltimore, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans emphasized his officers' commitment to building trust within the Hub's neighborhoods.
"We're out there trying our best. We realize there's some tension," he said Thursday morning, adding, "We're not Baltimore, but one bad incident could create a domino effect."
Meanwhile, a judge has granted Sean Ellis, convicted in the 1993 slaying of Detective John Mulligan, a new trial in the controversial case.
Evans said he and others are disappointed by the decision.
"I hate to see all this dirt dug up. Mulligan, I knew, he was on the streets. He was assassinated. I hope justice is done," he said.
Officer John Moynihan, who was shot in the face on duty after approaching a stopped car, is "a lucky guy" to be alive, Evans said, adding that he's recovering from some hearing damage and paralysis.
"Everybody pulled together behind John, and hopefully someday he'll return to the department," Commissioner Evans said.
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He also touched on the topic that has all of New England talking: Wednesday's released Deflategate report.
A big Patriots fan himself, he said that quarterback Tom Brady is a great role model.
"I hope they get to the bottom of it, but I hate to see the Patriots soiled by this one incident," Evans said, before joking that the Boston Police Department doesn't "deflate anything" and is "transparent in the numbers we put out."