# Watertown Sgt Who Tackled Boston Marathon Bomber Retires



## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

A suburban Boston police officer who became a national hero in 2013 when he tackled one of the Boston Marathon bombers retired from the only job he says he ever wanted.

Watertown police Sgt. Jeffrey Pugliese retired on Monday after more than 41 years on the force.

He wanted to keep working, but had reached the state's mandatory police retirement age of 65. Pugliese, an Army veteran and the son of a police detective, said he had wanted to join the profession since he was a teenager.

During the April 2013 gunfight with the marathon bombers, Pugliese came face to face with Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

As Pugliese and two other officers held Tsarnaev down, his younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, sped toward them in an SUV. Pugliese grabbed Tamerlan by the belt to pull him out of harm's way.

Dzhokhar ran over and killed his older brother.

Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons, who played Pugliese in the 2016 movie "Patriots Day," sent a video message to the retiree.

"I'm the only guy in Hollywood good looking enough to portray you on screen," Simmons said in the video. "Thank you for teaching me how to shoot a gun and teaching me all kinds of things about the ropes of police work."


----------



## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

Enjoy your well deserved retirement!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Sooty (Nov 1, 2018)

Enjoy a long healthy retirement Sgt!


----------



## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

Enjoy that well-earned retirement, and stay healthy Sarge!


----------



## DPH1992 (Mar 29, 2019)

Nice touch by JK Simmons. How many Hollywood elite do you think would have the balls to say something pro-police? Not many.


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

DPH1992 said:


> Nice touch by JK Simmons. How many Hollywood elite do you think would have the balls to say something pro-police? Not many.


There is quite a few who do support us, they just don't get the publicity that the haters get.


----------



## Roy Fehler (Jun 15, 2010)

DPH1992 said:


> Nice touch by JK Simmons. How many Hollywood elite do you think would have the balls to say something pro-police? Not many.


He’ll never work again, the Cancel Culture mob will move into action as soon as they see that.


----------



## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

May his retirement be free from 1st Amendment restrictions. Rest and watch as all you held dear is gutted, Brother.


----------

