Ep. 82 – Sgt. Jim Vaglica (ret.) of the Waltham, MA police department shares an eye-opening account of little-known aspects of the Boston Marathon bombing case. If you think you know what happened leading up to and in the aftermath of this terrorist attack, I think you’ll be surprised.

Jim recounts dramatic stories from his 32-year career including 16 years on the regional SWAT team known as NEMLEC, the role that drew him into the intense manhunt of the Boston Marathon bombers.

Jim takes us through the complex series of events that started on that Monday, April 15, 2013, that cast a net of terror over the city for several agonizing days and nights. He talks about NEMLEC’s mutual aid response to Boston, the citywide search for the suspects, the ambush murder of MIT Officer Sean Collier at their hands. Jim details the brothers’ dramatic shootout with police and the capture and death of the older brother.

With the wounded younger brother on the run in Watertown, the city was put under a tense shelter in place. Jim and the NEMLEC team along with neighboring agencies conducted door-to-door searches to find him. Jim describes the chaos that ensued following the discovery of the suspect including a massive multi-agency response, chaotic sympathetic gunfire, and an hours-long standoff before he is finally taken into custody.

But there is more here than meets the eye. Jim takes us through the mysterious backstory of the older brother. His potential ties to a triple homicide committed prior to the bombing. His FBI connections. And other unsettling details that raise more questions than they answer.

I start the episode by getting to know a little about Jim – what drew him to LE in 1985. His time on patrol and his stint on a street level drug unit. His promotion to sergeant in 1995 and his decision to test for and be selected to join the prestigious NEMLEC team in 1998. Though retired, Jim remains a Sworn Special Officer. We close with a chat about our shared passion for the role of School Resource Officer and hope for the future of law enforcement.

I am choosing to air this episode on April 15th, the anniversary of that horrible day for Boston in honor of all the city endured and in honor of the civilians who were murdered and maimed, the officers who lost or nearly lost their lives. And for Jim, his fellow officers and all the first responders for all they did to protect Boston.

Thanks, Jim!

Jim’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimvaglica/

Jim’s website: https://jimvaglica.com/

Check out the book Jim mentions: "Mayhem" by Michele McPhee

In remembrance of your service and sacrifice:

Officer Sean Collier

MIT Police Department

E.O.W. Thursday, April 18, 2013

Sgt. Dennis Simmonds

Boston Police Department

E.O.W. Thursday, April 10, 2014

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Abby@Ellsworthproductions.com

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©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 81 - This is a gripping look at the high-stakes world of the U.S. Marshals Service with retired Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Bobby “LED” Ledogar who committed 25 years to the agency handling high-profile extraditions, hunting fugitives and nearly losing his life serving high-risk warrants.

It is also a deeply personal account of what it was like to lose everything at the hands of the very institution he served because he chose to be a whistleblower in a discrimination case against one of his own deputy marshals. What you’ll also find in this episode is Bobby’s indomitable spirit and the strength he drew on to not only fight for what’s right, but also to fight back.

Bobby joined the U.S. Marshals Service in 1995 as a Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of New York/Brooklyn. In 2010, he promoted to Supervisor of the Warrants Squad assigned to the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force where he led a team of twelve marshals. Prior to joining the Marshals, Bobby served seven years in the U.S. Navy as a Master-at-Arms deployed to combat zones during Operation Desert Storm.

Bobby shares behind-the-scenes accounts of some of the most dramatic operations of his career including apprehending a violent MS-13 gang member; his involvement in the extradition of El Chapo; as well as tracking down a double-murder suspect who had evaded capture for more than 16 years – Andre Neverson – a U.S. Marshals “15 Most Wanted” fugitive featured on America’s Most Wanted TV show.

In 2015, Bobby supported Deputy U.S. Marshal Dawn Mahoney after she reported harassment and discrimination within the task force. As her supervisor and mentor, Bobby stood by her and testified on her behalf. What followed was swift and severe retaliation by the task force members identified in this whistleblower case involving a smear campaign that not only ended Bobby’s career but also threatened his and his wife’s safety ultimately forcing them to relocate from New York to Florida.

In April 2020, just two months shy of his scheduled retirement, Bobby was terminated. The firing immediately stripped him of his pay, medical coverage, and pension—leaving him and his family financially and emotionally devastated. We talk about what has kept him going these past few years, the mission to get back what was taken from him, and where things stand now.

Two organizations that supported Bobby from day one:

The National Police Defense Foundation (NPDF), which put a legal defense fund in place for the legal expenses Bobby has incurred with his case that is now before the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB). The NPDF is a nationally renowned and congressionally recognized non-profit that provides free medical and legal support services to the law enforcement community. https://npdf.org/

The other non-profit of which Bobby is a board member is the Federal Enforcement of Homeland Security Foundation (FEHSF), a non-profit whose mission is to provide emergency funding to the Federal Law Enforcement Community. https://www.fehsf.org/

You can connect with Bobby on LinkedIn under Robert Ledogar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ledogar-276277146/

Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.

Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:

Instagram: on_being_a_police_officer

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Abby@Ellsworthproductions.com

www.onbeingapoliceofficer.com

©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 80 - Joining me is Jim Dudley, host of Police1’s acclaimed podcast Policing Matters. Jim was with the San Francisco Police Department for 32 years, rising to the rank of Deputy Chief. He takes us back to policing in San Francisco in the 1980s and walks through how the profession — and crime itself — evolved over the decades, from the crack epidemic to today’s open drug use and reforms impacting law enforcement like reducing felony charges to misdemeanors. He reflects on his time as an Investigator in the Bureau of Inspectors, working cases ranging from burglary and property crimes to domestic violence, assaults, and serious violent offenses.

Jim also speaks candidly about the critical incident in which he used deadly force to save his own life and his partner’s during a struggle with an armed suspect. We discuss the reality of being investigated after a fatal use-of-force incident, the emotional toll that follows, and how that experience shaped his leadership style when supporting officers navigating their own critical incidents.

Since retiring in 2013, Jim has continued serving the profession as the host of Policing Matters and as a criminal justice instructor at San Francisco State University, where he has taught for 14 years. We touch on a topic of particular interest to me and that is the impact criminal justice professors can have on framing the national narrative on policing.

Thank you, Jim.

I also want to thank the listeners who I mention in the episode: @Luv fitness pal and @Emandagat01left very kind words in their five-star reviews on Apple podcasts. It means a lot to me.

Here’s where you can find Jim and Policing Matters:

Policing Matters podcast

Policing Matters YouTube

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/policing_matterspodcast/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdudley1946/

My interview with Jim Dudley on “Policing Matters”

Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.

Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:

Instagram: on_being_a_police_officer

Facebook: On Being a Police Officer

Abby@Ellsworthproductions.com

www.onbeingapoliceofficer.com

©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org