On Monday, April 10, 2023, the Boston Police Department remembers Sgt. Dennis ‘DJ’ Simmonds, who passed away 9 years ago to the day due to suffering from a medical emergency stemming from injuries sustained during a shootout in Watertown by individuals responsible for the attack on our Boston Marathon.
On April 19, 2013, Officer Simmonds and other officers responded to a call that MIT Police Officer Sean Collier had been murdered in Cambridge and it was presumed that those who were responsible for his death were on the run in Watertown. Officer Simmonds was the first one to arrive at the scene, and found himself in a firefight and ended up with a severe head injury after one of the suspects tossed an explosive device towards him.
On April 10, 2014, a year later, Officer Simmonds, sadly passed away due to the extent of the head injury he sustained as he had a medical emergency because of it that took his life.
After the arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Officer Simmonds, and his partners received the Brothers Medal, the BPD’s highest award and honor for courage and bravery. A month after Officer Simmonds passing, his family as well as a few Boston Police Officers traveled to Washington, DC to receive an award from President Barack Obama. Officer Simmonds and 25 other Massachusetts officers were presented with the nation’s Top Cop Award for bravery during the attack on the Boston Marathon by President Barack Obama.
Boston Police Department asks you to remember the service and sacrifice of Boston Police Sgt. Dennis Simmonds. Sgt. Simmonds is buried at the Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain and his name is can be seen on the National Law Enforcement Memorial: Panel 33 East Line 29. His name is also etched on the Boston Police Memorial at Boston Police Headquarters and the State Memorial at the State House.
