Inside the Boston Marathon Bombing: Ed Davis Remembers

In this powerful episode of "Wearing the Badge," Garry McCarthy sits down with longtime friend and former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis to revisit the darkest days of his career — the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Davis recounts his path from patrolman in Lowell to leading the city of Boston, the chaos of that Patriots’ Day, and the manhunt that followed. The two veteran chiefs reflect on leadership, the human toll of policing, and the camaraderie that stretches across departments and decades. Along the way, they trade war stories from the drug wars, mob investigations, and personal moments that reveal the heart behind the badge. Chapters: 00:00 Cold Open: Chaos in Boston 01:00 Baseball Rivalries & Old Friendships 04:00 Ed’s Start in Lowell Policing 06:00 Cutting Teeth on the Streets 09:00 Vice & Narcotics in the ’80s 11:00 The War on Drugs & Its Failures 14:00 Battling Organized Crime & Whitey Bulger 16:00 Mob Stories from Boston & Chicago 19:00 Wiretaps and the Rise to Chief 20:00 Cleaning Up the Lowell PD 21:30 Community Policing and Crime Drops 23:00 Major City Chiefs & National Policing Network 33:00 The Boston Marathon: A Festive Day Turns Deadly 34:30 Immediate Response to the Bombings 40:00 The Investigation & FBI Tensions 49:00 Sean Collier and the Watertown Shootout 53:00 Skip Shooting and Tamerlan Neutralized 56:00 The Manhunt and Lockdown 59:00 The Boat Capture & Final Arrest 1:02:00 Reflections on Leadership and Resilience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices