Watertown Police 'Disheartened' By Decision To Overturn Death Penalty Of Boston Marathon Bomber

WATERTOWN (CBS) - Watertown police, who were involved in a shootout with the Boston Marathon bombers, said they are "disheartened" by the court's decision to overturn the death penalty sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

"The members of the WPD are disheartened by the decision of the United States Federal Appeals Court to overturn the death penalty sentence of the Boston Marathon bomber. His unconscionable acts of terrorism during the 2013 Boston Marathon and subsequent days, has forever altered the lives of so many," the department said on Twitter.

A federal appeals court Friday threw out Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's death sentence in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, saying the judge who oversaw the case did not adequately screen jurors for potential biases.

A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new penalty-phase trial on whether the 27-year-old Tsarnaev should be executed.

The April 15, 2013, attack killed three people and injured more than 260 others.

The family of Martin Richard, the youngest person to die in the attack, said in 2015 that they did not favor the death penalty. On Friday and Saturday, other survivors took to Twitter and Instagram to express their feeling about the decision.

Read: 'I've Been Expecting This' Marathon Bombing Survivors, Families React To Tsarnaev's Appeal Win and Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor Adrianne Haslet 'Livid' At Court Ruling

Watertown Police said in a second tweet, "We continue to mourn the loss of those who died; our hearts are always with their families and the hundreds of survivors impacted by this tragic event."

Tsarnaev's lawyers acknowledged at the beginning of his trial that he and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, set off the two bombs at the marathon finish line. But they argued that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is less culpable than his brother, who they said was the mastermind behind the attack.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a gunbattle with police a few days after the bombing. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is now behind bars at a high-security supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

Tsarnaev was convicted on 30 charges, including conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction.

President Trump called the ruling "ridiculous," while Gov. Charlie Baker said he wanted to see Tsarnaev "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Mayor Marty Walsh said his concern was for the victims' families. "They shouldn't have to relive a trial," he said.

In:
• Boston Marathon Bombing
• Dzhokhar Tsarnaev