NAACP, minority officers’ association slam ‘Patriots Day’ movie

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The Boston branch of the NAACP and the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers have blasted the new Patriots Day movie, joining the family of the Boston Police officer who was killed fighting the two terrorists the film mentions in criticizing the movie for ignoring such a critical part of the history of the incident.

BPD Officer Dennis “D.J.” Simmonds was wounded in April 2013 when one of Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s pipe bombs detonated near his head during the shootout at Watertown. Simmonds later died of an aneurysm and is the only police officer to have died as a result of fighting the terrorists.

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“Their failure to even acknowledge the death of Officer Simmonds in the closing reel of the film or acknowledge in a meaningful way the roles that Boston police officers of color played in the  death and capture of the bombers not only paints a distorted image of what truly happened that  day, but taints our history. On this we cannot be silent,” read a joint statement by the Boston NAACP and the minority officers’ association.

They urged the filmmakers to correct their oversight and joined Simmonds’ family in calling for a better acknowledgement of his sacrifice.

“While the film has completed production, there are still opportunities for the producers and  studio to acknowledge the life and sacrifice of Officer Simmonds. In honoring his life and  sacrifice the film will then honor all of the members of the Boston Police Department, Black and White, who put their lives on the line.”

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