FOXBORO -- Bill Belichick began his press conference on Friday by expressing his appreciation for the Boston Police Department as it deals with the aftermath of a shooting that wounded two officers late Wednesday night in East Boston.
The injured officers were identified as Richard Cintolo and Matt Morris. In a press conference on Thursday, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said that both officers were in stable but critical condition.
"Before we get into Cincinnati, on behalf of the team, I want to express our appreciation and support for the Boston Police Department, [with] kind of what they've been going through here the last couple of days, the injured officers, their families," Belichick said. "I can't imagine -- I can imagine, but I can't imagine -- the amount of stress that that department has to deal with and the challenges every day and the difficulty of the situation that they've been put in. I just want to let them know we're behind them, that we appreciate them, we appreciate what they do for us and how they protect us, and we're there for them."
Nine additional officers were treated at Tufts Medical Center for stress and minor injuries sustained during the shooting.
"We talk about officers running into danger," Evans said Thursday. "We've seen it on marathon day, we've seen it today. I'd like to commend my officers for the courage and bravery they displayed last night, I'm really proud of their efforts."