BRAINTREE, MASS. (WHDH) - The Braintree community is showing their support after two police officers were injured and a K-9 killed during a shooting on Friday.
When officers Matthew Donahue and Bill Cushing, along with Cushing’s K-9 Kitt, responded to reports of a domestic incident in Braintree Friday and pursued the suspect into nearby woods, the suspect allegedly fired at them, officials said.
The officers shot back and the suspect, identified as Andrew Homan, 34, was killed, along with Kitt, officials added.
The officers were wearing bulletproof vests but were shot multiple times in their limbs and taken to Boston Medical Center, Police Chief Mark Dubois said.
Donahue, a nine-year veteran of the department, was released Saturday and is expected to make a full recovery.
Cushing, a 15-year-veteran of the department, remains hospitalized but is also expected to make a full recovery, according to Dubois.
Hundreds of community members, including Mayor Charles Kokoros and Chief of Police Mark Dubois, came out to thank the officers injured in the shooting and to remember K9 Kitt at an event called “Shine Braintree Blue.”
“It is felt by everyone in the community. There is such a close relationship between us and our police department,” said the mayor.
“K-9 Kitt was a distinguished K-9 not only with apprehending suspects but finding lost children [and] Alzheimer’s patients … just a real incredible resource to the community that’s irreplaceable,” said vigil organizer Sean Powers.
Chuck and Mimi Chesna, whose son — Weymouth Sageant Michael Chesna was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2018, also showed their support.
“It’s a blue family,” said Chuck Chesna. Mimi said watching Friday’s events was hard for her family.
“I was sick. I just got sick,” she said. “But, then I said, ‘You know what? We have to go tonight because if everybody felt that way, nobody would come’ So, you have to do for them what they’ve done for you.”
Gov. Charlie Baker added over the weekend that, “These are very dangerous jobs and potentially deadly jobs and my heart goes out to the forces they’re a part of and their families.”
Cards will be collected to be sent to the Braintree Police Department.
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