Friends, family remember Woburn officer

WOBURN, Mass. -- Friends and family are remembering a 34 year veteran of the Woburn Police Force who was killed during a robbery call Sunday night.

“He always had a lot of cookouts, and he loved being the host,” said Betty Lou Robillard, neighbor.

In the quiet community in Wilmington, neighbors recall Officer John Maguire as the friend they knew as Jack.

“Jack’s a funny guy. He was different, and made people laugh,” said Nancy Gormley, a neighbor.

During the height of Sunday night's snow storm, police say Officer Maguire got into a shootout with two masked men who had allegedly just robbed Kohl's jewelry section. Both Officer Maguire and the suspect, Domenic Cinelli, died.

“It's a combination of intense grief, outrage, anger,” said Chief Mark Leahy, head of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association.

Leahy says Cinelli was a convicted violent criminal serving three life sentences, and should have never been paroled in late 2008.

“Three life sentences, and this is somebody that was out of street, and feel right back into his old ways, and took the life of a veteran law enforcement officer. That’s a time for outrage,” said Leahy.

The parole board issued a statement saying they've "immediately initiated a comprehensive and detailed review of all records and information related to Dominic Cinelli."

But that's little solace for neighbors, who mourn for the father of three, who was looking forward to retiring and spending more time with his family.

“He had so much life in him. So much look forward to when retired. He had a house in Maine that he loved. It's just awful,” said Robillard.

Visiting hours for Officer Maguire will be held this Thursday from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the McLaughlin-Dello Russo funeral home on Pleasant Street in Woburn, followed by his funeral on Friday at 10 a.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer on Forest Park Road.

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