Thousands Pay Respects At Woburn Officer's Funeral
WILMINGTON (CBS/AP) - Thousands of police officers attended the funeral Friday for a veteran Woburn officer who was shot and killed last weekend.
About 2,000 police officers from around New England paid their final respects to 60-year-old John Maguire at Aleppo Shrine Auditorium in Wilmington.
WBZ Radio's Lana Jones reports
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A gauntlet of officers lined the road leading to the auditorium, while color guards from at least three dozen local police departments formed a circle at the entrance.
Career criminal Dominic Cinelli killed Maguire during a robbery at a Kohl's department store during the blizzard the day after Christmas. Cinelli was also shot and killed.
"When our loved ones go off to work, they deserve to come home," Woburn Police Chief Phillip Mahoney said at the service.
"He gave his life for the city of Woburn and its citizens, yet Desiree (Maguire's wife), sadly, he's not coming home."
WBZ-TV's Peg Rusconi reports.
"This never should have happened," Mahoney said. "His family's going to miss him. We're going to miss him."
Officer Maguire leaves behind a wife and three children.
They spoke briefly to Gov. Deval Patrick and Senator Scott Brown after the service.
Police are waiting until after the funeral to speak publicly about Cinelli and the fact the state parole board set him free last year, despite knowing that Cinelli was serving three life sentences.
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