State Police Trooper Releases New Photos Of Tsarnaev Capture
BOSTON (CBS) – A State Police photographer has released new images of the arrest of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Sgt. Sean Murphy, a tactical photographer with the State Police, gave the photos to Boston Magazine on Thursday. Sgt. Murphy says he was furious with Rolling Stone's decision to "glamorize" an accused terrorist on its cover, so he wanted to offer up the new photos as an alternative.
UPDATE: Trooper Knew Risk He Faced In Releasing Tsarnaev Photos
In a statement, a State Police spokesman said, "the dissemination to Boston Magazine of photographs of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev and police activity related to his capture was not authorized by the Massachusetts State Police."
Sgt. Murphy has been "relieved of his duty for one day" and is the subject of an internal investigation, according to Dave Procopio of the State Police.
John Wolfson, the editor of Boston Magazine, said Sgt. Murphy has also been ordered not to talk to media or anyone else about the events that took place in Watertown on April 19.
Wolfson says Sgt. Murphy's gun, badge and computer were taken from him.
The photos taken by Sgt. Murphy show the 19-year-old suspect emerging from a boat in the backyard of a Watertown home. He is bloody, slumping and the red laser dot of an officer's weapon can be seen on his forehead.
Sgt. Murphy wants the world to know how weak the suspected bomber looked when he was taken into custody.
The photos and more will appear in the September issue of Boston Magazine.
A statement from Sgt. Murphy and more pictures can be viewed here.
Dzhokhar, and his brother Tamerlan, allegedly put two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15. Three people were killed and hundreds were injured when the bombs detonated seconds apart.
Authorities also say the Tsarnaevs killed MIT police officer Sean Collier days after the bombings. Tamerlan died after a gunfight with police officers in Watertown and Dzhokhar was later found hiding in a boat.
Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges including using a weapon of mass destruction to kill.
He could face the death penalty if prosecutors choose to pursue it.
