Boston Cop Involved In Watertown Shootout Dies At 28Lucas Bowser In a Boston Globe article, a law enforcement official who knew Simmonds, said he was a health nut and loved to do CrossFit, run road races, and play basketball, and that he was, the picture of health. According to Boston police Sergeant Michael McCarthy, the medical emergency happened just after lunch, during in-service training at the Boston police academy in Hyde Park. He was taken to the hospital and died late Thursday night. No further explanation has been given as to how he died. He was only 28 years old. McCarthy said that Simmonds had been in the shootout with the alleged Marathon bombers and had suffered a head injury from the blast of an explosive thrown at him. For his bravery in the Watertown shootout, Simmonds received the departments highest honor, the Schroeder Brothers Memorial Medal. Simmonds father said, he was not one to brag about the award, and that he didnt like to be in the spotlight, so he didnt showboat it too much. According to My Fox Boston, Simmonds happened to be in that area the night of the Watertown shootout and he and his partner exchanged gunfire with the suspects. BPD Superintendent In Chief William Gross states that, he was one of the first people to respond and did engage the suspects, and he was wounded. Simmonds service seem to be missing from many accounts of the shootout, which have various versions, so it is unfortunate that he died before many people might have had a chance to learn what his role or experience was during that night. The story of the shootout remains somewhat mysterious as the major news networks, quoting anonymous officials, reported drastically different versions of what happened. Not much had been heard from the officers themselves until MSNBCs Lawrence ODonnell scored one of the only interviews with the members of the Watertown Police who claimed to be the first on the scene. Their account doesnt mention Simmonds being, one of the first people to respond, in fact their account doesnt mention Simmonds at all. ODonnell does little to clear the events up, concerned instead with highlighting how heroic the officers were. My Fox Bostons Heather Hegedus reports, it is another sad day for Bostons heroes, this is the fourth time in just a couple of weeks that one of Bostons first responders has died in an untimely manner. Another officer who had taken part in the Boston Marathon bombing investigation, identified as Gregory Maloney, had just recently died in a motorcycle accident while traveling with a fellow officer. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. Lucas Bowser writes for Victory Post where this first appeared. 