Massachusetts State Trooper named national Trooper of the Year Massachusetts State Police Trooper Christopher J. Dumont, 36, has been named the 2014 national Trooper of the Year by the American Association of State Troopers for helping save the life of an officer who was wounded during the Watertown shootout with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects last year. Dumont was working a security detail at Logan International Airport on April 18, 2013, for President Barack Obama’s visit following the marathon bombings, when he learned that Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Officer Sean Collier had been shot and killed. Dumont immediately drove to the scene of the shooting. The suspects soon fled in a stolen SUV, and Dumont responded to the nearby town of Watertown to search for the pair, later identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bombing suspects. The suspects began shooting at officers, with Dumont arriving on scene as the suspects began throwing Improvised Explosive Devices. The gun battle lasted over five minutes with over 270 rounds fired. Dumont returned gunfire and directed other officers to establish a perimeter to contain the suspects. Dumont learned that Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police Officer Richard Donohue, 33, had been shot in the right leg, which severed his femoral artery. Police officers from several departments had come to Donohue’s aid, but were unable to control the bleeding. Dumont, a certified paramedic, found Donohue in cardiac arrest, lying in a large pool of blood. Dumont immediately recognized that Donohue had lost most of his blood volume and that only blood transfusions and surgery would allow him to survive. Dumont performed CPR before a medical team arrived and then rode in the ambulance with Donohue, working hard to keep him alive. The rapid transport of Donohue to the closest hospital got him to the emergency room only 10 minutes after he had been shot, providing hospital staff the opportunity to save his life. Doctors were able to establish a heartbeat after nearly 40 minutes of Donohue being clinically dead. Donohue regained consciousness days later and has since appeared with Dumont at several awards ceremonies across the state. His recovery is unprecedented. Among other awards, Dumont was presented the Medal of Honor, the MSP’s highest award. Donohue and Dumont have teamed up with the American Red Cross to help organize several blood drives to promote the constant need for blood donations. “Not one person saved the life of Off. Donohue, but if one person had done anything different, he may not have survived,” said Dumont, stating that he has been recognized for simply doing a job he was trained to do. In an employee observation report, Dumont’s supervisor, Sgt. Paul Baker, stated that Dumont displayed “calm under fire, the ability to take decisive action, and unwavering dedication to duty in the face of overwhelming firepower.” Dumont joined the MSP in 2005 after serving six years with the New Bedford Police Department. He is assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s State Police Detective Unit as a homicide investigator. Dumont is an 18-year emergency medical technician with over 12 years certified at the advanced paramedic level. AAST representatives will attend the MSP Spring State House Awards Ceremony at the State House in Boston on May 21 at 11 a.m. to present Dumont with the crystal Trooper of the Year trophy. The media is invited to attend the ceremony.
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 13:54:57 +0000
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