SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - Former Somerville Police Det. Mario Oliveira was attempting to arrest a suspect for trafficking firearms when he was shot in the line of duty and his experience afterward is highlighting the need for a newly passed law in Massachusetts.
“I was shot at point-blank range six times,” he recalled during a conversation with 7NEWS.
“The law was I got 72 percent accidental disability … and the city was going to give me a little bit more than half of my pay and then I’m capped at what I can earn,” he said.
Had he been fatally shot, Oliveira said his wife would have received state and federal benefits, 100 percent of his base salary at the time, and not had to pay property taxes.
“The message that the state has been sending first responders, up until a few weeks ago, thanks to Gov. Healey, was that you’re worth more dead than alive,” he said.
That realization led Oliveira to push for change. Ten years ago he present a bill to ensure officers wounded permanently get 100 percent of their salary until retirement age.
“Those people who are hurt feel like they have purpose again, they feel like they’re members of society and they’re productive and they’re giving back,” he said. “It’s going to save lives, undoubtedly.”
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