FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                 PRESS CONTACT:

April. 9, 2014                                                                                      Brenda Lopez 956.544.8352

PRESS RELEASE: Congressman Filemon Vela Participates in Hearing Focusing on Boston Bombings—One Year Later

Washington, D.C. - Today, The House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing titled “The Boston Marathon Bombings, One Year On: A Look Back to Look Forward.” Witnesses included: Edward Davis, former Commissioner of the Boston Police Department; Edward Deveau, Chief of the Watertown Police Department; and Jeffrey Pugliese, a sergeant with the Watertown Police Department.  Also in attendance were officers who played a key role in the gun battle that unfolded in Watertown, Massachusetts where police attempted to apprehend bombing suspects Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

The witnesses explained the strong cooperation amongst different law enforcement agencies over the last year to investigate the Boston Marathon bombings and now to prosecute Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.  Additionally, the witnesses testified to the resilience of the Boston and Watertown communities.  Next week, an historic number of runners will participate in the Boston Marathon.

“I am here to tell you that throughout this past year, the level of interagency cooperation and information sharing that has occurred between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies has been critical to ensuring that we have found answers to as many questions as we could pose,” explained former Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis.  “Within the first few minutes of hearing about the explosions on Boylston Street, my first phone call was to my friend and colleague Rick Deslauriers at the FBI.  He and I worked side by side throughout the ensuing week, and I consider him a staunch friend and ally.  He offered all of the services of the FBI and other agencies to make sure that we not only apprehended the terrorists responsible for this crime, but also to ensure that our interagency collaboration affords all of our agencies the critical amount of information sharing needed for our organizations to operate at peak efficiency.”

Edward Deveau, Chief of the Watertown Police Department testified, “[D]uring those trying day’s last April two individuals attempted to strike fear and take down a city.  They attempted to terrorize us all.  In the end they accomplished nothing.  What they will never know is that when America gets knocked down we pick ourselves up and become even stronger.  We will not be intimidated.  Watertown is stronger, Boston is stronger, and in my opinion the entire country is more united and stronger.  The strength, resilience and defiance is what made Boston Strong and I know if an attack occurs in any city within our country they will respond in a similar way.”

Jeffrey J. Pugliese, a Sergeant with the Watertown Police Department stated, “I think it should be noted that in today's ever changing environment of violence, local municipal governments are not financially equipped to take on the increasing burden of such hostile actions…I would like to say that all of the Officers involved in this incident are ordinary men who were put into an extraordinary situation and performed extraordinarily well.”

“Today’s hearing was an opportunity for Congress to recognize the contribution of the brave men and women in law enforcement who participated in the successful investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing and to remember the victims," said Congressman Vela.  "The resilience of the Boston community was on display at the hearing.  Ensuring that law enforcement officials have the resources they need to protect our communities is important especially during a crisis situation.”