Office Donohue is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Police Officer who was shot, severing his right femoral artery, in gunfire with Boston Marathon Bombers. He was rushed to the hospital by his fellow police officers because there was no time to wait for the paramedics. When he arrived at the hospital he had no pulse, had lost almost all the blood in his body, and was in full cardiac arrest. He has since returned to work and in May was promoted to the rank of Sergeant where he is working in the Special Crimes Unit focusing on social media, drug investigations, and counterterrorism. As of recently former 'offcier' Duc Donohue was promoted to Sergeant and was able to return to work almost a year after the near fatal shooting. Donohue has been able to use his experience in the Boston Mararthon Bombings as a way to raise awareness for the need to donoate blood to the American Red Cross--after being shot, Donohue received more than 40 units of blood to save his life.
At the 2016 winter symposium, Donohue started his talk mentioning that this day in history was typically an easy day, a day of family fun, with not many concerns. Donohue never predicted that morning the circumstances he would be under in just a few hours. Donohue responded to a call following the bombings of an officer requiring back up, Donohue knew “he had to fulfill his obligations”, so he immediately started to assist officers who were taking part in a shoot out with the bombers. Donohue during this high stress moment with the bombers suffered a gunshot wound to his femoral artery putting him at very high risk for bleeding out. Donohue was rushed to the hospital at which time “he was essentially dead”. 45 minutes of CPR was performed on him and eight hours of surgery, Donohue was given a 2% chance to live. Donohue recognizes the actions of folks that day that saved his life. Donohue touched upon the importance of training, how to act in high stress situations, being “ready to run toward disaster”, being physically and mentally prepared for these types of circumstances. Donohue’s story sheds light to the heroism of that tragic day.
